When you have been injured in an accident of any kind that was caused by the negligence of another party, it’s time to hire a personal injury lawyer. In Miami, there are countless personal injury attorneys. While you may be in a hurry to resolve your situation quickly, you should never simply choose the first name you see.
You’re likely to see billboards and TV ads for personal injury attorneys in the area. It’s important to note that advertisements shouldn’t be the ultimate deciding factor on who you hire to represent you.
According to Nuñez Law, P.L., here are the things you should look for to choose the best personal injury attorney to meet your needs.
Experience with Your Type of Personal Injury Case
If you have heart health issues, you wouldn’t go to a podiatrist. You’d need to go to a cardiologist. The same logic can be applied when choosing your lawyer. You will need a personal injury attorney, though you will want to go one step further than that.
If you were in a car accident, you should find a personal injury lawyer that has experience representing car accident victims. While most personal injury cases will settle before they can ever go to trial, you will also want to be sure the attorney you choose has courtroom experience. The Seattle car accident attorneys are really experienced in such cases.
Proven Track Record
While past outcomes do not guarantee future results, if your attorney has proven results, it’s a good indication that they may be a good fit to represent your case. You can look at their results page or check reviews online. It doesn’t hurt to ask people who retained their services.
Communication Style
Your personal injury lawyer is someone who you will be working with for the duration of your case. While you may hope for a speedy resolution, it may take a long time to resolve your case. You want an attorney that will fight for the best settlement offer on your behalf, but you also want one that makes you feel comfortable. Trust and communication are critical factors when deciding on an attorney.
Additionally, you should find out how often your attorney will communicate with you, whether the news is good or bad. Another thing to consider is whether or not your lawyer will be your main point of contact or if you’ll be directed to a paralegal or assistant.
Payment Style
Before hiring your personal injury attorney, you should find out how they get paid. Some will require flat fees, have hourly rates, or even use retainers. However, most personal injury lawyers will offer their services on a contingency-fee basis. The American Bar Association (ABA) states that this arrangement allows the lawyer to represent you without any upfront costs.
If they can get you a settlement or win your case in trial, they will deduct their fees from the compensation they recovered for you. This arrangement works well for many accident victims who are worried about incurring additional financial risks.
However, even though you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket, you should have a clear understanding of the percentage of your compensation that will be awarded to the attorney. Ask these questions before you hire them to represent your case.
Use the Free Consultation
Another thing that most personal injury lawyers do is offer a free initial consultation. You should use this as an opportunity to get sound legal advice about your case and see if this particular attorney is a good match.
You should ask about the lawyer’s experience, track record, and the value of your case. Knowing how much you may be able to recover in damages is important in determining whether or not you should move forward. Once you hire a lawyer, they will begin preparing your case immediately to ensure they file before the statute of limitations expires.
Before you sign, ask them how many other cases they currently have. When a lawyer takes on too many cases at once, they will be too busy to give each client personal attention. If they meet the above criteria, you have found your match.
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