If you have suffered a serious injury, you may be feeling very overwhelmed. Not only have you been severely hurt, but between doctors, lawyers, law enforcement, and insurance brokers, it seems like there are questions and demands coming at you from every direction. This can be extremely confusing, as it may seem like no one really has your best interest at heart or has any interest in providing you with the information you need. When you have been hurt in an accident, you should be able to focus on healing and not be distracted by the stress of all the legal issues involved. When you hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you in court, you have an experienced advocate who can help you navigate the legal system to help you get the compensation you need and deserve.
That being said, not all personal injury lawyers are created equal. While a skilled personal injury lawyer can give you invaluable legal aid you need during this trying time, an inexperienced or unethical lawyer can end up making the entire situation worse. Fortunately, if you go into the hiring process with open eyes, you can enlist the aid of an attorney who truly can provide you with the counsel you need. In this blog, we will go over the dos and don’ts of hiring a personal injury lawyer so you can have the best representation possible.
DO: Research, research, research.
When you are looking for representation, it is essential to do your research. Look into both the law firm and the specific attorney to ensure that you will have a lawyer with the level of skill and knowledge to truly advocate or you. Do some internet research into their ratings, read client reviews, and make sure that they have experience with similar cases.
DON’T: Hire a lawyer who approaches you.
It is both illegal and unethical for attorneys to seek out cases. If you are approached by a lawyer who wants to represent you, you can rest assured that this person is not interested in following the letter of the law and is not working in your best interest. Do not hire them.
DO: Read the entirety of the contract before signing.
Before signing the contract regarding your legal representation, ensure that you know exactly what you are signing by reading it word for word. Do not sign anything that you have not fully read and understood first.
DON’T: Hire an attorney without substantial experience.
If a lawyer does not have significant experience in handling cases like yours, do not hire them. There are plenty of attorneys out there who specialize in personal injury law and who have experience with your specific type of case. Do not waste your time and money being represented by someone who does not know what they are doing.
DO: Ask Difficult questions.
When it comes to hiring an attorney, one of the most important things they can offer you is their wealth of knowledge about the law. Therefore, you shouldn’t hesitate to test their knowledge and learn the information you need. When you are interviewing an attorney to hire, ask the difficult questions you need answers to so that you know you are being represented by someone who is knowledgeable about your specific concerns.
DON’T: Hire someone who was recommended to you without further research.
When a trusted friend gives you a recommendation, you may feel comfortable simply following through with it most of the time. In the case of hiring a personal injury lawyer, don’t do so without conducting your own research. While your friend may be attempting to help you, they don’t necessarily know the extent of the lawyer’s experience with your specific type of case, and this can backfire on you. Before taking your friend’s recommendation, conduct thorough research into their suggestion before hiring the personal injury attorney.
At Westphal Law Group, our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you if you have been in an accident in San Bernardino. With years of experience, we can help guide you through the process o a personal injury case and advocate for you to the best of our abilities. If you are interested in being represented by Westphal Law Group, contact us.
