Where to look to find good car accident attorneys and what to ask
So you've been involved in a car accident and think you may have a case. How do you find the right attorney to help you?
You already know this is an important decision. In fact, fin'ding the right lawyer from a go'od shortlist of car accident atto'rneys may be one of the most im'portant decisions of your enti're car accident case.
We're going to help you with th'at right now.
You should do careful rese'arch and select an attorney w'ho has years of proven experie'nce handling personal inju'ry cases such as yours. We want to offer you some helpful tips to find th'at perfect attorney to get yo'u compensated for your ca'r accident injuries.
Top reasons why you ne'ed a personal injury attorney after your auto accident
Research shows tha't car accident victims, particularly tho'se with perceived "minor" inju'ries, are reluctant to hire a personal inj'ury attorney for a number of' reasons. Perhaps they don't thin'k they need one, they are intimidated by' the prospect of talking t'o a lawyer, or they don't want to get dr'agged into court like they see on TV shows. Or maybe they mistake'nly believe that they could never affo'r'd to hire an attorney or that their injuries aren't that serious.
Whatever the reason, th'e reality is that not hiring an attorney a'fter a car accident can have lon'g-term negative consequence's on your final settlement or awa'rd.
While it's hard to quantify exa'ctly how much it helps to hire an attorney since there isn't recent data looking into this iss'ue and cases vary widely, one co'mmonly cited stud'y by the Insurance Research Council fro'm 2004 found that 85 percent of cas''es where the insurance company settled a car accident claim were han'dled by a hired attorney.
In this article, Enjuris dev'eloped a comprehensive list of ti'ps and advice from reputa'ble attorneys around the country about the benefits of hiring an attorney following a crash. Our goal is to help accident victims und'erstand the settlement differen'ce that having a great attorney on their side can make by provid'ing answers to related quest'ions like:
- What are the top reasons w'hy people should hire an atto'rney?
- What advantages do pers'onal injury attorneys offer in c'ar accident cases?
- When should you hire a 'personal injury attorney after a c'ar crash?
- Do you need a lawyer for a minor car accident?
On average, people who hir'ed a lawyer received 4 to 5 times more compensation than tho'se who didn’t. What’s more, yo'u’re more likely to receive a pay'out when represented by an attor'ney.
Before you look up car accident attorneys, know what you're looking for
Before you even start doi'ng searches it will pay off t'o have a good idea of the qualit'ies and terms you are lookin'g for in a car accident attorney. Thi's may differ a little according to y'our case, your personality, your area of the country, even.
These questions will gi've you a framework for a list you c'an check off:
- Evaluate the complete tea'm of staff, not just the partners or people who make up the pub'lic face of the law firm. Keep in mind as you research and inter'act with the firm that it may not be' the same person you speak w'ith initially who will be yo'ur primary contact.
- Firm age, size, experie'nce. Awards and leadership roles in organizations can also be good indicators.
- Good judicial connecti'ons: Find out if they participate in 'the local bar association and contri'bute to campaigns.
- Comfort with going to tri'al: Find out how many of their c'ases go to trial and the success rat'e of those that do. Some lawyers'' will have this information posted on their websites.
- Have they tried or settl'ed similar cases in your city or cou'nty? Do they have an office ne'ar you?
- Look for experience wit'h your type of case specifically.
- Negotiation ability: Wh'at sort of settlements they have obt'ained (remember, 95% of personal injury cases are settled without tr'ial). Again, some car accid'ent attorneys will have this informat'ion posted on their websites.
- Your personal comfort wit'h the lawyer. This can be a big one.
- Timing: Are they too bus'y to devote enough time to y'our case? Can you get a sense of ho'w long their cases are taking?
- Past problems: Has the att'orney ever been censured or dis'ciplined by any legal or ethics co'mmittees in the past? You will want to look this up before contacting th'em, so you don't waste your time.
- Past client reviews: Be a'lert to what others say about th'em, especially on independent review sites.
Specialty: car accident and wrongful death
Specialty: personal inju'ry and wrongful death
Wrongful Dea'th Lawyers
Specialty: Personal Injury
Specialty: workers' compensation, cra'shes & accidents
Specialty: workers' compens'ation
Specialty: workers' compens'ation and personal inj'ury
Injured and need a lawyer?
Find the best attorney ne'ar me
Where to find experienced car accident attorneys
Ok, now you should have an id'ea of the sorts of things you'll be keeping in mind as you loo'k at various law firms and atto'rneys.
Next, find where to loo'k to start putting together a shortl'ist of the best car accident attor'neys, so you can begin with a stron'g pool of potential candid'ates.
There are several wa'ys to find the names of experienced personal injury lawyers. Once y'ou have gotten several nam'es and numbers, you should' talk to each of them and check 'out their level of experience and case resu'lts.
Ask friends and family
Talk to people in your pers'onal and work network. See who has worked with a personal in'jury attorney before, prefer'ably also on a car accident case. If y'ou get a good referral to an atto'rney, put him or her on your list.
But do not decide to go wi'th an attorney just based up'on someone else's word.
Different people will have dif'ferent reactions to an at'torney. You want to talk to the att'orney personally and discuss your case, then make a decisio'n.
Ask other attorneys you've worked with on different matters
If you have a real est'ate attorney friend, you can ask them if they have a recommendati'on for a personal injury attorney' who could help you with y'our car accident case. Most' experienced attorneys will know other good attorneys outside the'ir area of practice.
It is very common for law'yers to refer business to each ot''her, so this can be a great way to find a good attorney.
Enjuris lawyer direct'ory
Enjuris has assembl'ed a comprehensive Law Fir'ms Directo'ry that you can u'se to find a local personal injury a'ttorney. When you click on yo'ur state, a list of personal injury att'orneys will appear who have reg'istered with our website.
When you click on 1 o'f the attorneys, a brief profile of th'at legal firm will appear with th'eir contact information. Som'e of our featured attorneys have' an Ask a Question feature that allo'ws you to provide brief information about your personal injury case. (Let us know if you don't fi'nd a good attorney in your state o'n our site and we may be able t'o help.) It is up to you to connect wit'h that attorney and to decid'e if he or she is the attorney you wa'nt to represent you.
Legal referral services – but know quality can vary widely
Most state and local b'ar associations have a legal referral service where the nam'es of attorneys licensed in the' state are listed by specia'lty.
For example the Texas State Bar has a Lawyer Refer'ral & Information Service that c'an help you find an attorney th'at matches your type of case and fin'ances.
Note that the quality of a par'ticular referral service can vary widely. Some of these ser'vices will conduct careful screen'ing of attorneys, and list onl'y the most experienced and succ'essful ones.
Other referral services ma"'y list any attorney who is in go'od standing in that st'ate.
Before you choose an attorney through a referral serv'ice, find out what its qualificatio'ns are for including a personal injury attorney on their lis't.
Why hire a car accident lawyer?
(What does a lawyer do?)
Enjuris Partner attorneys
of Brown Trial Firm
Waco, TX car accident attorney
Since 2000, when I launc'hed my firm to represent accid'ent and injury victims, I've talk'ed to countless grieving fam'ilies who have lost a loved 1 without warning in a fatal wr'eck.
As their attorney, I se'e it as my job to answer my clien't's questions, keep them inform'ed, spearhead a thorough accide'nt investigation and prepare them for w'hat to expect as their case mo'ves forward. My job is to s'eek out the truth of what really ha'ppened and effectively present th'at to a judge or jury, if necessary, t'o secure the best possible outcom'e for my client.
of Lorenzo & Lorenzo
Tampa, FL car accident attorney
Some car accidents are min'or and straightforward affairs that can be quickly resolved by each pa'rty and their insurance compa'ny. Ho'wever, many cases in'volve complicating factors suc'h as serious property dam'age, catastrophic injuries' or an uninsured/unlicens'ed driver.
When there's a speed bu'mp in getting compensation yo'u feel you deserve following a cra'sh, it's in your best interests to ta'lk to an attorney. Most reputa'ble firms offer a free consulta'tion, so it costs you nothing but you'r time to learn about your rights.
of The Babcock Law Firm LLC
Denver, CO car accident attorney
No matter the severity of the'ir injuries, these types of insu'rance claims are extremely com'plicated. Injured individuals wh'o try to handle their own claim' put themselves at a significant disadvantage. The insura'nce adjusters understand al'l the different complexi'ties.
Insurance adjusters, eve'n though they may act like they are, are not looking out for the inju'red individual. They are loo'king to close the claim quickl'y and pay as little as possible. When a self-represented individual settl'es for too little, or even wor'se, screws something up becau'se they don't understand the syst'em, they can find themselves in rea'lly bad situations. In the worst situations, they owe thousands an'd thousands of dollars they never kn'ew they would owe.
Attorneys understand th'e system better than the insurance adjusters do. Having an expert on yo'ur side is how you guarantee thi'ngs will be handled appropriately' and that you will receive fair an'd appropriate compensa'tion.
I am a personal injury and auto accident attorney. I am a'n expert when it comes to hand'ling personal injury claims. I 'am not a plumber. I don't try to' fix my own toilet because I don''t have the necessary expertise 'to do so. The plumber shouldn't thin'k they can handle their own pers'onal injury claim. I can't do wh'at they do. They can't do what I do.
of Gerber & Holder Workers' Compensation Attorneys
Atlanta, GA work injury attorney
Who reads the rules before pla'ying a board game such as Monopoly? Do you get money if you la'nd on Free Parking or not? Wh'en are you allowed to build hous'es and hotels? Attorneys are thos'e people who read the rules!
The workers' compensat'ion and personal injury legal syst'em is a heavily regulated area of' the law that provides for very sp'ecific relief for those who ha've been hurt. For example, an individual who is injured in a car cr'ash while driving for work cannot just treat with any doctor and exp'ect to get benefits.
Workers' compensatio'n provides for payment of all medi'cal treatment by an auth'orized treating physician when som'eone is involved in a work-related accident, including car acc'idents. This includes payment o'f medical bills from emergency ro'om visits, treatment by speciali'sts and diagnostic testing su'ch as X-rays and MRI's.
However, there are ve'ry spe'cific laws which govern which doctors can be seen and when yo'u ca'n see them. Treating without k'no'wing this information coul'd lea''ve an injured worker with a sta''ck of medical bills and no wa'y to pay for them.
It is important to hire a'n experienced attorney after a work-related car accident so th'ey can help you take advantage 'of the laws surrounding wor'kers' compensation beca'use they read the rules!
of The Bab''cock Law Firm LLC
Denver, CO pers'onal injury and car cra'sh attorney
Getti'ng in a car accident always causes stress and frustr'ation, but if you're injured in the accident, it also causes pain. The ex''perience can be completely ove'rwhelming, and it can be diffic'ult to navigate the complicated perso'nal injury system when overw'helmed.
An experienced attorney ca'n evaluate your claim cal'mly and objectively, help you av'oid the common pitfalls of th'e system, and cut through the red ta'pe. This allows you to focus o'n what's most important – your reco'very.
of Murphy Law Firm
Great Falls, MT car accident attorney
Following a car accident, mo'st folks feel overwhelmed,' anxious and stressed about figu'ring out how they are going to ge't to work, how long it will take them to recover, how they are go'ing to pay for the medical bills an'd more. They often aren't think'ing about the clock that starts tick'ing the moment the crash occu'rs.
Consulting with an attor'ney shortly after an accid'ent allows crash victims to kno'w h'ow much time they have to file a cl'aim under their state's statute of limitations—and how mu'ch their claim is potentially wo'rth.
of MVP Accident Attorneys
California car accident & personal injury attorney
"The Insurance Research Cou'ncil (IRC) examines the effe'ct of attorney involvement wit'h respect to medical treatment, compensation and the sett'lement process of auto injury cla'ims. The most recent study publi'shed by the IRC concludes that injur'ed people represented by an attorney, on average, receive 3.5 tim'es more money than people wh'o are not represented by an atto'rney.
The reasons for this disparity a're obvious to anyone who has e''ver been in an accident. The leg'al system is an adversarial syst'em. When you ask for the mo'ney you deserve following a car accident, there is someone—whet'her it's an insurance adjuster, another driver or a defense attorney—w'ho does not want you to receive eve'rything you're asking for. An exp'erienced attorney can gather evidence, make sure the right documents ar'e submitted, and persuasi'vely present your case.
In addition to the benefits of hir'ing an attorney, there's no down'side. At MVP Accident Attorneys, we handle car accident cases usi'ng a contingent fee arrangement. This means we get a percentage of 'the award you receive. If you don't receive any money, you d'on't owe us a penny."
of Chappell, Smith & Arden
Columbia personal injury & truck accident attorney
"There is a reason th'at attorneys are also called counselors. The experience of being inju'red in an accident—even a min'or one—can be overwhelming. It ca'n be difficult to handle d'ay-to-day activities, let alone 'maneuver through a complex lega'l system.
A good personal injury' attorney uses their extensive kn'owledge and experience to help get you the results you deserve. B'ut, just as important, a good personal injury attorney also guides yo'u through an extremely difficult time with compassion, understand'ing and a steady hand."
of the Law Offices of Robert E. Wisniewski
Phoenix, AZ work injury attorney
The simple reason to hi're a workers' compensation lawyer when there is a work-r'elated car accident is that many, many personal injury lawyers i'n Arizona do not understand nor kno'w workers' compensati'on benefits.
For example, in a workers' compensation case, there is n'o payment for pain and suff'ering as there would be in a per'sonal injury auto accident cas'e, but there are other benefits that are pa'yable, such as part of the average monthly wage during t'he period of time that the worker i's incapacitated from work'ing and the payment of his medic'al bills under the Arizona workers' compensation fee schedule. It is best to have a work'ers' compensation lawyer wor'k in tandem with your perso'nal injury lawyer.
First of all, if you settle th'e personal injury claim with'out the approval of the workers' compensation insura'nce company, you may jeopardize the furt'her benefits under the work'ers' compensation claim. Most people, many personal injury la'wyers included, do not under'stand that Arizona has a lien statute that allows any benefits pai'd under the workers' compensation claim to be included in a lien agai'nst recovery for any amounts paid in' indemnity or workers' compensat'ion medical benefits.
For example, if the wor'kers' compensation carrier spends $5,000 on indemnity ben'efits and medical benefits, they h'ave the first right, after the l'awyer's fees in the recovery of the thir'd-party case to be reimbursed. Someone has to explain this interplay to' the injured workers so th'ey understand that ther'e are benefits available under wor'kers' compensation and benef'its available under the third-party claim and how those ben'efits interplay with each oth'er.
In other words, you can't "dou'ble dip."
Often, getting work'ers' compensation benefits in' the onset of a case will help the w'orker secure the medical care an'd indemnity benefits that he needs right away and await th'e settlement of the third-pa'rty claim. Somebody needs to educate the worker on both of the'se benefits.