According to Ibis World, over 56,000 personal injury attorney businesses operate within the United States. These attorneys are experts at the legal system in their respective districts. That said, not every attorney in the US operates the same way or with the same effectiveness. Some lawyers are just better at their job than others. If you’re looking to find a personal injury lawyer worth the money, these tips may guide you in the right direction.
Ask People Close to You
Personal referrals are an excellent way to do business with professionals. Individual injury cases can fall under several different categories. It’s likely that your family members or friends have gone through similar situations previously and had a positive experience with a lawyer. Some lawyers specialize in specific fields, so you might want to narrow down your question to hyper-focus on the area of law that your case falls into.
Experience Is Crucial
The law changes and adapts, and as eager as new lawyers are, they aren’t as skilled at navigating the intricacies of personal injury as more seasoned professionals. The Law Society of Scotland mentions that experience isn’t even related to age, but the number of cases a lawyer has been involved in. The research should be a clue that you shouldn’t let looks be the measurement by which you judge whether a lawyer is worth working with or not. Look at their list of casework and use that as a gauge.
See How Much They’ve Won
The number of cases a lawyer’s been through means nothing if they keep losing all of them. The number of cases your lawyer has won is one of the most critical elements in determining whether they’re a good fit. Lawyers learn from their experience, and you should see more wins towards the end of the lawyer’s track record. If you see a random assortment of wins and losses, then it’s a good sign that your lawyer hasn’t figured out what works for them yet. By choosing them, you’re rolling the dice on your case and taking what random number comes up.
Look For Certificates
If you’ve got a shortlist of lawyers, a good idea would be to look at what legal organizations they’re affiliated with and what certification they have. Have they ever been in any leadership roles? Are they members of national or state organizations? How well respected are they within the profession? Certifications help to back up the lawyer’s credentials. Professional respect is as important as the number of cases a lawyer’s won, but you might realize a correlation between one and the other.
Getting Good Value for Money
As with hiring any professional, you want a lawyer who is an expert in bringing a matter to a favorable resolution for you. Additionally, you want someone who isn’t still finding their feet in the profession. Less experienced lawyers may cost less, but as in most things, you get what you pay for. If you’re spending that much on a lawyer, putting a bit more towards getting proper representation seems like a better investment overall.