If you are injured by someone else’s negligence, the best thing you can do is hire a competent injury lawyer to represent you. This lawyer will negotiate with the other party’s lawyers and insurance companies to make sure that you are fairly compensated for your losses. But, with so many injury lawyers out there, how do you decide which one is right for you?
Some personal injury lawyer limit their practice to a specific area of law, such as medical malpractice or auto accident cases. By focusing on these areas, they can acquire extensive knowledge and experience in those fields of law. Other lawyers, however, choose to focus their practice on all types of injury cases. These lawyers may be called general practitioners or personal injury lawyers.
When choosing an injury lawyer, be sure to ask about their experience and qualifications. It is also important to ask about how they interact with their clients and whether they are empathetic. Many personal injury clients have been through a stressful time, and an injury lawyer needs to be able to understand their long-term losses and emotional turmoil.
Another important question to ask is what their policy is on case expenses. Some personal injury lawyers have a policy that they do not charge a fee for their services unless there is a recovery in the case, which is known as a contingent fee agreement. However, most personal injury cases entail some expense to pay for experts, such as accident reconstruction specialists or trucking safety experts, to testify on behalf of the client. Some lawyers require that their clients reimburse the law firm for these expenses if the case is lost.
Other expenses that are common in personal injury cases are for things such as a loss of income or the cost of medical treatment. Your attorney will determine the value of your claim by evaluating your medical records and comparing the amount that other injured persons have received for similar injuries.
In some states, such as New York, a plaintiff in a car accident must meet a threshold to be entitled to recover damages for his or her injuries. This is often referred to as the “serious injury” or “permanently disabling” threshold. The threshold requires that the plaintiff’s injuries must meet a certain minimum level of severity, such as a broken bone or permanent limitation to an organ or body part.
Some attorneys may be members of national or state organizations that specialize in representing injury victims. These organizations typically publish legal articles, conduct continuing education programs and lobby for consumer rights. Membership in these organizations is a good indicator that the lawyer has the skill and expertise to represent you in your case.