Let’s say you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident or were injured in a slip and fall. To ensure full compensation for your personal injury, you want to retain a personal injury lawyer. But how do you find and choose one?
Finding the names of personal injury lawyers is easy. For example, a Google search will yield hundreds of results for any city.
As well, law societies such as the Law Society of Alberta have lawyer referral services Alberta’s. Referral services give you the names of several lawyers practising in a particular area of law.
Increasingly, lawyers are also using social media. A search of Google+ or Twitter, for example, will lead you to many personal injury lawyers.
But how do you choose a personal injury lawyer? There are many factors to consider. Here are a few:
- How long has the lawyer been practising personal injury law? Experience matters in all areas of law. Personal injury law is no different.
- Does the lawyer specialize in personal injury? Law is increasingly complex. While some lawyers are able to stay current in several areas of law, it’s harder than ever to do so. This is just one factor to consider.
- Does the lawyer offer a free consultation? Most do. The initial consultation is an important opportunity to see if you ‘click’ with the lawyer. Does the lawyer truly listen to you? Does the lawyer seem to truly care about your case? Does the lawyer communicate in a way that you find clear and persuasive?
- How does the lawyer charge? Many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means you pay nothing out of pocket. The lawyer is only paid if and when they obtain a settlement for you.
- Does the lawyer offer client referrals or testimonials? Some lawyers post client testimonials on their websites. The best endorsements you can get, of course, are from friends and acquaintances who have worked with a particular lawyer in the past.
These are just a few of the factors to consider when looking for a personal injury lawyer. If you have more questions, please contact me.
