Every year, there are over 5 million car crashes in the USA — and those are just the ones reported to the police. Car accidents are unfortunately common and although you can take steps to protect yourself, there are sometimes external factors outside of your control.
If you do become involved in a car crash, hiring a personal injury attorney is an essential step to making sure you get the result you deserve. But how do you choose one?
When looking at personal injury attorneys in Anaheim, CA, this is how to find the right one for you.
Read Reviews on Personal Injury Attorneys
Before hiring any service or buying any product, you need to take a look at the reviews. A wide variety of platforms on the internet (Facebook, Google, Yelp, etc.) will accept and display reviews so consumers can do their research before spending their money or placing their trust in someone.
A good personal injury attorney should have a good overall star rating.
This is especially true because people are more likely to leave negative reviews than positive ones, so if they’ve managed to have a good rating, they’ve done well.
You can also dive specifically into the five-star and one-star reviews to see what they did well and what they didn’t. Specifically, you should be looking for lawyers who’ve been found by clients to be responsive and patient when explaining legal matters, providing valuable insight in an understandable way.
Check Out Their Website
A successful lawyer should have a clean, accessible website displayed online. At the very least, it should give a basic rundown of their services and provide a way to contact them.
There may also be testimonials available on the website. Not only do these show experience, but they’re another example (alongside reviews) of happy clients who would recommend the lawyer.
In the age of technology, a digital presence is important and without one, a lawyer may not get a lot of business. Since you want a successful attorney, having a good website only makes sense.
Consider Their Experience
While everyone you talk to should be a qualified attorney, experience is a huge indicator of who is the best one. As lawyers work, they get more and more experience with different cases over the years, and someone who’s been doing this for decades will have more of an idea of how to win a case than someone newly qualified.
While the newly qualified person may be great at what they do, you don’t want to stake your own case on it.
You should also make sure the lawyer has experience with cases just like yours. Talk them through it and ask questions about similar cases they’ve handled or if they have an idea of how to go about this. If the attorney isn’t a personal injury specialist, while they might be great in another area of the law, they may not do the best job for you.
Ask for an Evaluation
Narrow down your search further by figuring out if the attorney you’re looking at offers a free evaluation of your case. This is a quick and painless way to find out if the lawyer will be able to take it on and what exactly you can expect from them.
While some lawyers will charge legal fees for an evaluation, there are plenty that will not, so always go with one that offers a free initial consultation. You should also make sure they’re conveniently located or that they’re willing to communicate virtually a lot. However, conveniently located is best as it means they’ll know the local courts too.
Ask About Fees
Attorneys handle fees differently, so make sure you get this part out of the way and ask how they do theirs. The most important thing is making sure that their fees are within your budget — otherwise, there’s no point in proceeding.
However, if you can, evaluate the fees alongside everything else and don’t use it as the deciding factor. If you speak to a lawyer with cheaper fees but less experience, fewer wins, and less warmth, they may not be the best choice for you.
The reason for this is that if you lose your case, the fines may total out to more than you would have paid a good lawyer. They might seem expensive but when you compare lawyer fees to the alternative — potential legal fines — you may actually be saving money by hiring the best attorney in town.
Consider Their Communication
Before committing fully to a lawyer, consider their communication. While personal injury lawyers are busy people, they should be able to answer questions in a timely manner.
If they take weeks to answer a simple inquiry before you’ve even gotten started, then it may be an indication they may not be the lawyer for you.
It’s more than that though. You should also ensure they communicate in a way that’s both warm and non-judgmental. They need to be able to explain the law to you in a way that isn’t patronizing, but they also need you to be able to open up to them.
Lawyers need to have all the details available to do the best job with your case. If you feel the need to lie to your lawyer because you don’t trust them or fear judgment, you may need to find someone you can open up to.
This Is How to Hire Personal Injury Attorneys
When hiring personal injury attorneys, don’t pick the first one you come across and call it a day.
Your case is important so make sure you put a little time and effort into researching your potential attorney and ensuring they’re the right one for you. Read reviews, ask for an evaluation, and confirm the costs before you go any further, but also make sure you’re comfortable with them.
Dealing with a personal injury and need some help? Contact us today and let’s see what we can do for you.