Has someone else caused you injury? Are you out of work because of a personal injury? If so, you are an excellent candidate for a personal injury lawsuit. Keep reading the following tips to get some great advice concerning winning your case.
If you are contacted by an insurance company that claims it needs to take a statement for their investigations, refuse to say anything to them. The best thing to do in this situation is to give them the name of your attorney and tell them to call him if they have any questions or concerns.
Talk with a personal injury attorney to determine if you have a legitimate personal injury case.
This will not only save you a great deal of stress, it can also reduce the potential court fees.
When visiting a lawyer’s website, navigate to the About Us section. This page will give you information such as the attorney’s specialty, the location of their office and years in practice. Many lawyers also have a testimonial page. On this page you will be able to read about different cases from the client’s perspective.
Would you get married after your first date? If not, why would you choose the first personal injury lawyer you find in the Yellow Pages? Instead, check out all options in your town and choose the person with the best reputation for winning cases when it comes to personal injury law.
When you take a personal injury case to a big law firm, you may meet the head honcho to talk, but your case will be passed down to junior associates. They tend not to have many cases under their belt, and this can lead to a loss. Look for a small firm instead.
Make sure the lawyer you choose has good experience with personal injury cases.
Do not judge the lawyer by how many times he settled, but by what he was able to do for his clients. A personal injury lawyer may have many “successful” cases where he settled for less then he should have.
Cooperation and communication are key when hiring any type of lawyer. Do not work with someone that you don’t feel is listening to you. In addition, if the lawyer will not sign a retainer agreement, you should move on to someone else. This agreement is what outlines how much their services will cost you, and it is important to have that detail settled as soon as possible.
Make sure to take pictures of any vehicles that were involved in an accident. Take them from different angles so there are no issues later. If people claim that damages were done that were not, you will have solid proof that what they are saying is not what really happened.
You should always prepare yourself prior to speaking with your personal injury lawyer. This can be paramount if the lawyer accepts your case on contingency. A lawyer who works on contingency basis may not want your case if he or she can’t see the potential to win. Practice a presentation of your case and have the proper documents ahead of time.
You should document all the expenses linked to your injury.
If you need medical treatment, keep copies of all your bills or ask your doctor to write a detailed bill for you. You should also ask your employer to provide you with documentation that proves you were unable to work because of your injury.
You need to know if your prospective attorney has trial experience. A lot of attorneys have experience in getting settlements but limited experience in trials. This is something to know before you hire them. You’ll need this knowledge for making a more informed decision.
If you are unhappy with your personal injury attorney, know that you can terminate the contract. This must be done in writing, but it gives you an out and allows you to find someone else to represent you. Just keep in mind that if you choose to do this, you will still owe your attorney funds for the work he has completed prior to being let go.
Watch for red flags when talking to prospective personal injury lawyers.
It’s usually not good idea to go with a lawyer that represents insurance companies. You need one that has experience representing injured persons. You should not choose a lawyer that asks for money or a retainer upfront or one that rejects a contingency fee. Avoid those lawyers that won’t honor your wishes or sign the retainer agreement.
Make sure you don’t let the case consume your life. Because there is no way to guarantee an outcome, make sure that you put the case in proper perspective. Make sure that you take time to do hobbies you enjoy or to spend your free time doing things that have nothing to do with the case.
You don’t have to conform to not getting anything. If you have been injured due to someone’s careless actions, you can pursue action. Put these personal injury tips to use and collect your due payment.