As our blog has stressed before, if you’ve been involved in any type of accident and were injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, contacting a personal injury attorney is important. Whether it was a minor or serious accident, you may have legal rights and no one is better at determining that then experienced injury lawyers. The selection of the right personal injury attorney could be one of the most important decisions in your life.
It’s not always a simple task finding the correct attorney. Personal injury lawyers are a dime a dozen in the metro-Atlanta area. Here are a few tips to help if you need to find an injury attorney for your potential claim:
Use Technology: The Internet has advanced a great amount in recent years and it’s free, so use it! Not only can you simply search Google, Bing, or Yahoo for attorneys in your area, but there are hundreds of online directories as well. These directories list thousands of attorneys by their practice areas and often include pictures and background information on law firms. A majority of personal injury firms have websites with education, awards, experience, professional organizations, and even fee structures included for visitors. There are also local Bar Associations that will be glad to provide you a list of personal injury lawyers’ names if you give them a call.
Make Use of Professional Recommendations: Business professionals often have a network of friends and acquaintances that they will refer you to if you have the need. Ask your doctor, dentist, or accountant if they have a personal injury lawyer that they can recommend. It’s also smart to ask previous lawyers that you’ve used for other services, such as real estate or family lawyers, because they almost always have a network of referral attorneys to send you to.
Use Personal Recommendations: In addition to professionals referring you to attorneys, you friends and family members may also know personal injury firms to send you to. Many times those personal connections have used the attorneys in the past and had excellent experiences, so you know you can trust that the outcome will be a positive one.
Practice Areas and Experience are Important: There are dozens of areas of law that attorneys may practice. Often times, law firms will elect to practice a variety of areas of law so that they gain more cases, and therefore more income. By selecting an attorney who practices only personal injury law, you can feel certain that they will provide more adequate representation than a “jack of all trades”. Experience in the personal injury field of law is vital as well. By having experience in the field and as a trial attorney, one understands how to better represent a variety of clients regardless of the type of injury claim.
Size and Locality Matter: Large law firms often have a group of attorneys devoted specifically to personal injury. You may have a variety of lawyers working on your case at multiple times, and it can get confusing. Smaller law firms have less people handling cases, so management is much more personal and effective. At a small injury law firm, you can call and speak directly to your attorney or the paralegal assisting that attorney with no problem. As a small Marietta law firm, we pride ourselves on providing individual attention to each potential claim. Also, hiring an attorney who is local means they will be more accountable and reliable. Communication is much easier when it’s between a local firm instead of with an attorney you saw on television without knowing about them.
Pay Attention to Advertisement Types: When you are bombarded with advertisements for law firms on television, billboards, and other flashy mediums, use discretion. These types of firms often get a large amount of calls and inquiries, and then refer them out to other lawyers to get a referral fee. These types of law firms will likely have operators answering phones and screening calls, so speaking directly to an attorney may be difficult.
Set Up Consultations and don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions: Most personal injury law firms offer free consultations, so don’t hesitate to meet with lawyers to determine whether they are right for you. While in the consultation, don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have. The only stupid question is the one not answered, so don’t be afraid to voice your concerns and opinions. We are here to help.
Need an attorney for a personal injury case in Marietta? If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence in an auto accident, slip or trip and fall incident, or other instance, please contact us today. We would love to help and make this process as simple as possible for you.
