Finding a Personal Injury Attorney: Tips That Work

If you're lucky in life, you'll never have a need for a personal injury attorney. Unfortunately, not everyone can be so lucky. There may come a time when you are hurt due to the negligence of another person or company. If that happens, you may be presented with a fair settlement that completely covers your medical bills, lost wages, and pain. Pigs may also fly. Truthfully, you'll probably have to push to get what you deserve. It isn't in an insurance company's best interests to offer people what they should be offered. Their job is to get out of a sticky situation with as little loss as possible. This is when you may need to bring in a lawyer. Here's how to find one.

Referral

Start with your regular lawyer, if you have one. If you have an existing relationship with some in the law, such as a divorce lawyer or a business lawyer, they may be able to give you a referral. This is a good way to find a competent, reputable personal injury attorney. No lawyer is going to put his own name and reputation on the line for someone who will make them look bad. This will not only potentially get your case heard by a better class of lawyer than you would have otherwise been able to procure, you will probably get a better consultation than your average Joe off the street.

The American Bar Association

If you want to find a qualified personal injury attorney, you can always go through the Bar Association. There are two options here. You can contact the local branch in your state, or you can go through the ABA's website, which will have a listing of appropriate lawyers in your area. This will also provide you with a good repository of information about the firms themselves. You can find out where a lawyer was educated, what their experience is, and more. The ABA isn't going to tell you whether a particular individual is any good or not, but it's a nice place to start.

Make Appointments

You don't have to hire the first personal injury attorney you make an appointment with. Most of them will offer a free initial consultation and there is nothing saying you have to make a decision that very moment. Take some time and think about it. Make a few more appointments with other lawyers in your area. Use these meetings to compare and contrast. Take notes and search your feelings. Intuition is a strong assistant in these matters. Learn to trust yours, and you will be more likely to make the right choice.