Not many people may ever need to hire an injury attorney in their lifetime. However, for those who find themselves in a situation where such services are required, it can be quite difficult to make a decision. After all, your choice will determine not just whether or not you will receive any compensation, but also how adequate the compensation will be.
Hiring an injury attorney is not something you do on a whim. So, if you are asking, “How can I find Injury Lawyers near me,” this article is just what you need. In this piece, we’ll share hiring tips to help you get the best injury lawyer in Wilkes-Barre.
List Your Needs
Every personal injury lawsuit is unique because of the circumstances that caused it. Therefore, you need to itemize the details about the case. Doing this will give you an idea about the type of attorney you need. Here are some of the things you need to list:
- The injury type sustained.
- The severity of the injury.Â
- Details of the incident that caused the injury.Â
- Location of the incident.Â
- Liable parties.Â
- Hardship suffered because of the injury.Â
- What do you want to get from the lawsuit?
Medical bills compensation?Â
Pain and Suffering?
Lost wages?
Everything listed above?
Ask for Recommendations
Although it is easy to search the internet for injury attorneys near you, getting recommendations from people you know has more advantages. Your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors might know a good attorney who can handle your case. So, we recommend that you ask these people for recommendations. If they recommend anyone, here are some questions you should ask them?
- How open was the communication between both parties?
- Did they explain each stage of the lawsuit in clear terms?
- What was their manner of approach?Â
- Were they friendly, caring and professional?
- Â Did they win the case?
You are at liberty to ask way more than the above questions. Even though you might be familiar with them, make sure you are polite when asking your questions. You can read this article to learn how to ask questions politely. But bear in mind that even if your family, friend, colleague, or neighbor had a good experience, it doesn’t make the lawyer automatically perfect for you.Â
Go for Attorneys Who Have Handled Similar Cases
As we said, every personal injury case is unique. As such, it’s possible that there are certain cases that even an experienced attorney might not have handled. Moreover, many of these lawyers tend to specialize in certain areas, such as car accidents, workers’ compensation, hospital negligence, etc.Â
Therefore, before you hire anyone, make sure they have handled cases similar to yours. That way, you can be sure that they are treading in familiar waters. Here are some questions you can ask about the cases they’ve handled before:
- Did you win the case?
- What greatest challenges did you encounter?
- Was the case settled in trial or out of court?
- What was the duration of the case before it was settled?
A lawyer who has handled such a case will gladly answer your questions without mentioning the names of their previous clients. Pay attention to the details of the story they share with you to determine the truth behind what they are saying. We must insist that you don’t hire someone whose listed services do not include your type of case.
Have Questions Listed for the Consultation
The above tip is something you would do during the consultation. In addition to those questions, you need to have listed other questions regarding other areas. What answers they give and how they answer will help you determine whether they are the perfect fit. Here are some questions you can ask and some answers we consider most appropriate:
- What do you consider top priorities during an injury lawsuit?
Answer: Justice for the injured, communication, and client education.
- How do you charge?Â
Answer: Contingency fee basis. You can visit https://www.law.cornell.edu/ to learn more about contingency fees.
- What is my claim worth?
Answer: They can only give an estimate while explaining factors that will help determine the actual worth.Â
- How long will my case take before it is resolved?
Answer:Â An attorney cannot accurately predict how long a lawsuit would take. However, they can give an estimate and also promise to do their best to resolve it quickly.
Check their Testimonials
One of the advantages of word-of-mouth recommendations is that you get first-hand details about the lawyer’s approach and result. While that is good and all, you need to read testimonials and reviews about the firm you want to hire. Although you can check out the testimonials on their website, you should not make your judgment based on that alone.Â
We recommend you check for testimonials on other third-party platforms and social media. You want to know if past clients were satisfied with the performance of the firm. As you read through, keep these questions in mind:
- Did they communicate well with previous clients?
- Did they prioritize the case and their clients?
- Did they explain law terms and concepts in easy-to-understand terms?
Conclusion
If the testimonials and reviews tick the above boxes, then you might have just found yourself a personal injury attorney. In such a case, you can go ahead and hire them. We wish you the very best as you get justice for your injuries or that of your loved one.