Choosing a car accident attorney is no easy task. There are many things that you have to bear in mind if you are to find the right lawyer to take on your personal injury case. The market doesn’t make it any easier, either. With so many options available, it can be confusing to establish the best attorney for your job.
To simplify the process for you, here are five tips for choosing the right Toledo car accident attorney for your case:
Exclusivity is paramount
As stated earlier, the market has no shortage of lawyers; however, not every lawyer out there specializes in personal injury cases. Your ideal lawyer is one who handles personal injury law exclusively, because only then can you be confident that they have a full understanding of the rules and practices surrounding personal injury cases. Otherwise, you risk getting poor quality representation, and you know what that means for your case.
Pay attention to their experience level
In addition to exclusivity, you want to find a lawyer who has experience representing clients with cases of similar nature to yours. Keep in mind that personal injury is an umbrella with numerous other sub-sections, including car, trucking, and motor accidents, wrongful death, dog bites, workers; compensation, and even medical malpractice. Your lawyer should have the ability to represent your car accident case – and the only way to gauge that is by looking at their experience.
Check their ability to represent you in court
You’ll be surprised to learn that many personal injury attorneys out there have never taken any case to trial – not because they haven’t had any cases worth taking to trial, but because they cannot fight for their clients in court. Working with such an attorney will put you at a disadvantage because often, the insurance company will refuse to budge (especially if they know the lawyer). So unless you try to find another lawyer, you’ll have to settle for whatever it is you’re being offered.
Look at their reputation
The lawyer’s reputation says a lot about them and is a significant metric to use to gauge whether you’ll work with one, or not. Choose an auto accident lawyer who has a track record of high verdicts and settlements – especially if yours is a case with severe damages and injuries. Find out the number of million dollar verdicts or settlements the lawyer has had. Better yet, check whether he or she is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates – a well-known organization of lawyers who’ve tried or settled cases worth a million dollars and over.
Find out about their resources
This one might sound crazy, but it is essential. A good car accident lawyer in Toledo is one who has adequate resources to handle your case seriously. Serious personal injury claims are costly to prepare because the attorney will have to work with other experts, including doctors, biomechanics, economists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, life care planners and accident re-constructionists. If the lawyer doesn’t seem to have the resources to bring in the necessary experts, it may have a negative impact on your case.
