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Seven Things You MUST Know Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
by: Arthur Gueli
If you suffer an injury resulting in significant damages you
will need to hire a personal injury lawyer. But in any given
city, there are probably over 20 pages of personal injury
attorney listings in the phone book. How do you pick the
right one? What do you look for? What questions should
you ask?
Here are 7 things you should know before hiring your
injury lawyer...
1) The sooner you hire your lawyer the better. Begin looking
for your personal injury lawyer within a week or two after
your accident. If you're not physically capable you should
have a friend or loved-one start looking. The sooner you start
building your case the better.
2) NEVER give a recorded statement to a representative from
any insurance company until you've consulted a lawyer. When
the rep. asks for one simply say, "I'm not prepared to give
a statement at this time." A recorded statement can be used
as evidence and if you're not prepared you might overlook
important details. Anything you miss (or misrepresent) can
be used against you in settlement negotiations and in the
trial.
3) Hire a personal injury lawyer that specializes in your
specific type of injuries. Do your homework before signing
the retainer agreement. Visit the firm's website and read
up on it's history and each lawyer's biographical information.
Ask the lawyer for some referrences and ask how much experience
they have in handling cases with similar injuries. What
settlement awards did they get in those cases?
4) Have a face-to-face meeting with your prospective lawyer.
Your personal injury lawyer is going to be your closest advisor
during this difficult time. You must feel comfortable and trust
your lawyer. The only way you'll get a feel for the lawyer is
by having a sit-down to discuss your case. Any good personal
injury lawyer will give you an initial consultation free of
charge.
5) Hire a lawyer that will take your case on a contingency
fee basis. This means that your lawyer won't get paid unless
you get paid. He will take his fee out of the money you
receive for your injuries. You can expect your lawyer to take
about 33% of your final settlement - that's after expenses
are taken off the top. Make sure you clearly understand the
payment structure before you sign the retainer agreement.
6) Hire a lawyer with a good Martindale-Hubbell rating. This
service evaluates lawyers in the U.S. and Canada based on peer
review. Their website, Martindale.com has a helpful lawyer
locator service and will explain the rating system.
7) Always be completely open and honest when discussing your
case with a lawyer. Tell the lawyer as much as you can about
what happened. Try to remember every detail. Any documentation
and pictures you have of your injuries and treatment will be
a big help when evaluating your case.
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About The Author
If you'd like to learn more about how to hire a
good personal injury lawyer click here.
Arthur Gueli works with his brother Charles (a licensed
personal injury attorney) to help teach injured plaintifs
how to obtain fair personal injury settlements.
Feel free to visit their educational website, Injury Settlement Guide.
http://www.injury-settlement-guide.com
This article was posted on October 12, 2005
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