By Eloise Hewitt


Suffering from injuries because of another person is difficult enough without the headache and stress of a legal battle as well. You should be represented by an attorney. A personal injury lawyer can provide you with the legal help you need, but it is crucial to pick the right one. Multiple factors must be considered.

A big factor for many injured people is the method or payment. There are a few attorneys that will require a retainer fee up front. Most of them, however, put everything together on contingency. For you, this means that you do not have to pay for anything up front and the attorney only gets paid when you are awarded a judgment or if a settlement is accepted. In either case, you should make sure that you read every inch of your agreement, keeping an eye out for hidden terms or fees.

The initial consultation is another factor. You should not have to pay for this meeting. Both you and the attorney should treat this meeting like an interview. Ask questions and provide as much information as you can about your injuries. The whole purpose is to gather information so that you can determine if he or she is the best option for you and your particular case.

Consider his or her experience. You need an attorney that has the proper amount of experience plus the education to back it up. He or she should be able to tell you the number of cases won in court and settled out of court versus the total amount of cases. The attorney may have a ton of cases that resulted in settlements, but very few cases won in court. While the experience is present for the settlements, he or she may not have the court experience you would like.

Be sure that you verify all licenses and certifications. Your local branch of the American Bar Association can be helpful in checking attorney credentials. It may also be a good place to get some attorney names.

Filing with the proper court is vital. The attorneys you are considering should have the knowledge to figure out which court system is applicable. If, for example, you live in Gulfport, MS but you were injured in a different city, the attorney should be able to determine which court has jurisdiction. Additionally, he or she should have an understanding of the difference between civil and criminal cases.

It is important to stay away from any attorney that makes promises or guarantees for certain outcomes. Any attorneys that give you a definite time for it all to be finished or a specific amount of money is not worth your time. Attorneys do not have the ability to know this information beyond a shadow of a doubt. They can only provide you with estimates.

Ultimately, only you can determine which attorney will feel right for you. Sometimes an attorney will feel right but through the progression of your case he or she does not seem to be representing you as you would like. In these instances, you may need to hire a different one and you have the right to do that. If this occurs, you should understand that the previous attorney can take his or her fees from your award with the court's assistance.




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