How to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
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Posted On :
May-04-2009
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Article Word Count :
574
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Hiring a personal injury lawyer is not a simple process, as there are so many different types of personal injury law.
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Hiring a personal injury lawyer is not a simple process, as there are so many different types of personal injury law. It's not just a case of hiring someone who handles personal injury cases, but your specific kind of case. You wouldn't just hire a "lawyer" to handle a legal matter – the same goes for personal injury law. There are several different kinds of personal injury law cases – workman's comp, medical malpractice, product liability, workplace liability (getting injured at a store, rather than getting injured on the job), and other types personal injury lawsuits.
So while experience is necessary for a personal injury lawyer, don't just go by the number of years an attorney has worked in the law. Make sure to determine that a lawyer has dealt consistently with a certain type of case. Some personal injury law firms specialize to a very narrow degree: for instance, there are personal injury law firms that specialize in brain injuries, construction accidents, car accidents, any number of specific issues. So when you are looking for a referral to a law office, you cannot just go on the person's recommendation alone – the recommendation needs to be for an appropriate lawyer.
Questions to Ask Your Personal Injury Lawyer
Even if a lawyer doesn't have decades of experience with your type of case, there is something to be said for a comfortable personal relationship. If you feel confident with the lawyer and the lawyer displays a sense of professionalism and knowledge then this can make up for the fact that the lawyer may have only represented a few cases that relate to your situation. This is why the initial consultation with your attorney is so important. You'll get a "feel" for how the attorney conducts him or herself and you can get a sense of the attorney's expertise.
When you first meet with the attorney, there are several questions that you should look to have answered. Remember, just meeting with a lawyer puts you under no obligation to work with the lawyer in the future. The initial conference is like a job interview – and you're the employer. You're in the driver's seat, so don't let a lawyer intimidate you into taking on the case. In fact, this kind of intimidation could be an example that you won't have a good working relationship on your case.
Question to have answered by a lawyer include finding out:
1.The attorney's areas of specialization
2.What educational credentials does the lawyer have regarding that specialization
3.How many cases the attorney has represented in the area of specialization that is directly similar to your own case
4.How long the case will take to be resolved
5.What are expenses and how will they be paid
6.Can you ask questions about the case as it progresses and what's the best form of contact (phone, email, etc.)
7.What if the defendant wants to settle rather than going to trial – for less than was initially estimated – will the lawyer take the case to trial?
Take this list of questions with you – there's no reason to play it by ear. Go through these questions one by one and see if the attorney answers them without hesitation and inspires a sense of confidence and professionalism.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_How to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer_577.aspx
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Author Resource :
San Francisco personal injury attorney Sally Morin has several years of experience as a personal injury litigator. To learn more about Ms. Morin, visit her web site, ww.san-francisco-personal-injury-lawyer.org, or blog, ww.san-francisco-personal-injury-attorney.org
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Keywords :
Personal Injury Lawyer, Lawyer, attorney Lawyer,
Category :
Reference and Education
:
Legal
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