7 Mistakes in Selecting an Accident Lawyer
MISTAKE #1
Selecting an attorney who is not a specialist, or choosing someone who does wills, trusts and bankruptcy or real estate instead of exclusively personal injury law. Personal injury law is intricate and involves many specialized rules and practices. You risk the quality of your representation if you choose an attorney that does not specialize in personal injury law. The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith specializes in personal injury law.
MISTAKE #2
Selecting an attorney who does not go to trials, arbitrations or mediations.
Many if not most attorneys who advertise they handle personal injury cases have never seen the inside of a courtroom. They take your case then if push comes to shove, try to pressure you to settle for a pittance. Insurance companies are very aggressive. If they know your attorney doesn't go to trial, that he’s afraid of the courtroom, they will take advantage of this and make ridiculous offers or make little or no effort to settle your case. They know your attorney is shooting blanks and that he will fold his hand...and pressure you to fold too when he sees the insurer isn't going to budge. If your attorney isn't willing to put the case before a jury, the insurer knows it..and it will hurt you.
MISTAKE #3
Selecting an attorney without a track record.
If you have a large case with serious injuries it's important to know that your attorney can deliver a large verdict or settlement. Ask your attorney how many million dollar verdicts or settlements he has had. Is he a member of the Million Dollar Forum? The Million Dollar Forum is a renowned organization of attorneys who have settled or tried cases worth a million dollars or more.
Not every case is worth a million dollars, but if you have that kind of a case, make sure you have an attorney who can deliver the goods.
MISTAKE #4
Hiring an attorney who is not a member of National and Local Trial Lawyer Groups such as the Consumer Attorneys of California and ATLA, the American Trial Lawyer Association.
Serious personal injury attorneys collaborate with and learn from other excellent personal injury attorneys. In today's very difficult environment where insurers are not hesitant to use dirty tricks and underhanded methods to make injured people look bad, it’s critical to be up to date, and to know what the insurers are up to.
MISTAKE #5
Hiring an attorney who does not have sufficient resources to take your case seriously.
When you hire an attorney...look around..does he or she look like they are successful? Does their office look like they are doing well? Does the attorney have a line of credit or personal assets necessary to properly prepare your case? Serious personal injury cases are expensive to prepare. Many experts are necessary to properly prepare a case. Often many doctors must have their depositions taken and must later appear in Court. Other experts such as economists, biomechanics, accident reconstructionists, vocational rehabilitation specialists and life care planners must be hired.
The expense in a single case can often exceed $100,000+ if properly prepared. Make sure your attorney has enough money to play with the big boys.
MISTAKE #6
Not allowing you to talk to his past clients.
If an attorney is any good do you think he'd have any problem with allowing you to talk to past clients he's represented? Any attorney worth his salt has clients he's not ashamed to allow you to talk to.
If an attorney tells you he can't allow you to speak to past clients, you should consider carefully that perhaps there's a reason for that...that perhaps he hasn't done such a good job for those clients in the past.
MISTAKE #7
Hiring an attorney who hasn't written and lectured in the personal injury field.
Ask the attorney you are considering hiring about articles he's written in the personal injury field and presentations he's given to other personal injury lawyers.
Has he had a public service TV show where he's talked to the public about personal injury matters. If the attorney has never written, never given presentations to other lawyers, never hosted a TV show...consider how much he likely knows about his field.
Selecting an attorney who is not a specialist, or choosing someone who does wills, trusts and bankruptcy or real estate instead of exclusively personal injury law. Personal injury law is intricate and involves many specialized rules and practices. You risk the quality of your representation if you choose an attorney that does not specialize in personal injury law. The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith specializes in personal injury law.
MISTAKE #2
Selecting an attorney who does not go to trials, arbitrations or mediations.
Many if not most attorneys who advertise they handle personal injury cases have never seen the inside of a courtroom. They take your case then if push comes to shove, try to pressure you to settle for a pittance. Insurance companies are very aggressive. If they know your attorney doesn't go to trial, that he’s afraid of the courtroom, they will take advantage of this and make ridiculous offers or make little or no effort to settle your case. They know your attorney is shooting blanks and that he will fold his hand...and pressure you to fold too when he sees the insurer isn't going to budge. If your attorney isn't willing to put the case before a jury, the insurer knows it..and it will hurt you.
MISTAKE #3
Selecting an attorney without a track record.
If you have a large case with serious injuries it's important to know that your attorney can deliver a large verdict or settlement. Ask your attorney how many million dollar verdicts or settlements he has had. Is he a member of the Million Dollar Forum? The Million Dollar Forum is a renowned organization of attorneys who have settled or tried cases worth a million dollars or more.
Not every case is worth a million dollars, but if you have that kind of a case, make sure you have an attorney who can deliver the goods.
MISTAKE #4
Hiring an attorney who is not a member of National and Local Trial Lawyer Groups such as the Consumer Attorneys of California and ATLA, the American Trial Lawyer Association.
Serious personal injury attorneys collaborate with and learn from other excellent personal injury attorneys. In today's very difficult environment where insurers are not hesitant to use dirty tricks and underhanded methods to make injured people look bad, it’s critical to be up to date, and to know what the insurers are up to.
MISTAKE #5
Hiring an attorney who does not have sufficient resources to take your case seriously.
When you hire an attorney...look around..does he or she look like they are successful? Does their office look like they are doing well? Does the attorney have a line of credit or personal assets necessary to properly prepare your case? Serious personal injury cases are expensive to prepare. Many experts are necessary to properly prepare a case. Often many doctors must have their depositions taken and must later appear in Court. Other experts such as economists, biomechanics, accident reconstructionists, vocational rehabilitation specialists and life care planners must be hired.
The expense in a single case can often exceed $100,000+ if properly prepared. Make sure your attorney has enough money to play with the big boys.
MISTAKE #6
Not allowing you to talk to his past clients.
If an attorney is any good do you think he'd have any problem with allowing you to talk to past clients he's represented? Any attorney worth his salt has clients he's not ashamed to allow you to talk to.
If an attorney tells you he can't allow you to speak to past clients, you should consider carefully that perhaps there's a reason for that...that perhaps he hasn't done such a good job for those clients in the past.
MISTAKE #7
Hiring an attorney who hasn't written and lectured in the personal injury field.
Ask the attorney you are considering hiring about articles he's written in the personal injury field and presentations he's given to other personal injury lawyers.
Has he had a public service TV show where he's talked to the public about personal injury matters. If the attorney has never written, never given presentations to other lawyers, never hosted a TV show...consider how much he likely knows about his field.