If you have been injured through no fault of your own, you may have a personal injury lawsuit. One of the first and most important things to do is to immediately consult with a good personal injury attorney. How do you find the one that is best suited for your particular case? What can a personal injury lawyer do for you? This can be one of the most important and crucial decisions, and can certainly affect the amount of your potential injury settlement.
One of the first things to realize is that you will be at a definite disadvantage right off the bat in dealing with the other party's insurance company. Remember that the insurance companies have whole legal teams who are extremely knowledgeable and successful in reaching the smallest settlement possible. It is their job to minimize the size of settlement claims in personal injury cases. This is the key reason not to attempt to negotiate with the insurance claim adjuster on your own. If you've been injured in a serious car accident due to another driver's carelessness or negligence, you do not automatically get a fair settlement.
There are numerous ways to find a good attorney to represent you in your personal injury lawsuit. The internet is awash with websites which will show you the area of law in which the attorney practices. One of the best ways to find a lawyer is by a personal recommendation. Most personal injury law firms rely on referrals for most of their business. Ask family members, friends, and work associates if they have used an attorney they were happy with. Another way is to check out attorney referral sites.
Select several lawyers who might be a good fit with your case and schedule an initial consultation. Most personal injury attorneys don't charge a fee for this, but make sure to ask about any fees before meeting with the attorney. Make sure you know what to ask about, making a list of questions can be very helpful. Be sure to have any related documents with you - things such as the official police report, and any and all correspondence with either your or the other party's insurance company.
Be sure to discuss things such as how many personal injury claims the attorney has settled, if he or she will handle your case, or will another attorney be handed the case? Ask for their ideas about reaching a settlement vs. going to trial. Will they work on a contingency fee? Make sure you know about any extra fees or potential expenditures.
Go with the attorney you have the best feeling about. You will be working for quite awhile together, and it is important to trust and know that your attorney is doing the very best job for you. Once you have made the choice you can rest assured that you have someone fighting for you and your best interests.
Source by Jeffrey S Dawson
