10 Guidelines For Choosing The Right Personal Injury Lawyer

1. Is he or she experienced? How long have they been practicing accident law and how many accident cases have they handled?

2.Do they have substantial financial strength? Since the “costs” associated with handling personal injury cases can be substantial this is an appropriate concern.

3. Does he or she deal only with accident cases and represent accident victims exclusively? You want to deal with an lawyer who handles accidents themselves not some one who will refer your case out to another lawyer. It is also essential to find out if they represent insurance companies or people accused of causing accidents.

4. Do they give free advice over the phone regardless of how long the conversation lasts or how many times you call back? Most successful accident specialists are not interested in “consultation fees” – they place service before profit.

5. Does he or she  provide useful advice and information without requiring you to sign with the firm? A good personal injury firm should be willing to answer questions about your accident without you retaining them formally.

6. Do they have good relationships with medical professionals?  You want a firm that is familiar with and respected by the Health Care community so they can refer you to a reliable Health Care Provider who has experience treating accident victims.

7. How do they respond to the questions, “How much is my case worth?” and “How soon will it settle?” The only proper response is that they can’t honestly tell until all of the data relative to your case is assembled. At the outset, they can only determine whether your case has “merit” and whether it is worth there time to handle. Any response giving “guesstimates” is an indication of inexperience or desperation. There are so many uncertainties in this field, any such “estimate” is inherently misleading and ethically inappropriate.  These questions can be used not so much to evaluate your case, but to evaluate your lawyer!

8. Is he or she willing to handle your case for a less than his “usual” fee? After finding out what a lawyer wants to charge to handle your case, you might ask if they would reduce their fee. The client has every legal right to negotiate fees with a lawyer they are considering hiring. The principle reason to negotiate the lawyer’s fee is not necessarily a “better deal,” but rather to evaluate the lawyer. Every lawyer knows what there worth and those who cut their fees are worth what they charge. A lawyer who cuts fees may be somewhat desperate for business and if that is the case, there is a chance that he might settle your case for less than its full value. The lawyer who can be negotiated out of his compensation by a client, may be as easily negotiated out of the client’s compensation by an experienced, professional insurance adjuster. Certainly, there are special circumstances that would justify deviation from this general rule, but keep in mind that you usually get what your pay for and a “cut-rate” lawyer or legal clinic may only have the capability to obtain “cut-rate” settlements.

9. Does the lawyer handle injury cases on a “contingent” basis? This means that the lawyer’s fee is a percentage of the money they obtain to compensate you for your injuries. If there is no money recovered, you will not be charged a fee. If an lawyer will not handle your case on a contingent basis, the risk of loss shifts from the lawyer to you, the client. It also shifts the lawyer’s objective from maximizing the result to maximizing the time he spends on your case. At the Scranton Law Firm, all our fees are contingent. We produce results or we don’t get paid!

10. Does the lawyer advance the costs necessary to prove what your case is worth, including expert’s fees and all court costs? After an accident is the last time you you want to be shelling out money  At the Scranton Law Firm, all costs advanced are also contingent. This means if we do not collect for you, we don’t get paid. We guarantee this in writing!

If You Or A Loved One Has Suffered Injuries Due To An Accident Call 800 400-8742 Today To Get A Free Accident Evaluation. Even If  You Have Already Received A Settlement or spoke to another lawyer Get A Second Opinion.