There are few things in the world that are as life-changing as a serious injury. A serious injury can leave you physically disabled, in great pain, and can mean a long road to recovery. And when you add the financial and emotional strain of treating an injury, it can be even more damaging.
If you were injured as a result of someone else’s actions or negligence, an injury trial lawyer will stand up for your rights in court and fight for compensation for your injuries. But you can’t pick just any lawyer, you need a lawyer who will fight for you and win.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of choosing an injury trial lawyer that will help you win your case and get your life back on track.
Choosing an Injury Trial Lawyer: Starting the Search
The first step in your search for an injury trial lawyer should be to identify the type of lawyer you need. As a person who was injured, you will need what is called a “plaintiff lawyer.”
A plaintiff lawyer is an attorney who argues for the rights of the person who was wronged in the case, which would be the injured person in this case. You can search for these types of lawyers on the internet or even ask friends and family to see if they know a good plaintiff lawyer.
Once you’ve identified law firms that have plaintiff lawyers on staff, you need to find out what their specialty is. Most plaintiff lawyers (especially injury trial lawyers) will have a specific area of the law that they focus on.
Automobile Injury Lawyers
Automobile injury lawyers will specialize in any type of injury case that has to do with automobile accidents. Automobile injury cases make up about 50% of all personal injury cases, making it the most popular type of personal injury case.
These lawyers are the right choice if you were injured in a car accident due to the actions or negligence of another driver or company. They can argue for compensation based on their knowledge of traffic laws, the actions of the defendant, and other factors.
Medical Injury Lawyers
Medical injury lawyers handle cases that involve patients who were injured as a result of negligent or improper medical care. These cases are also very common, with over 8,500 medical malpractice claims that were paid in 2018.
If you were injured or suffered due to inadequate or negligent medical care, a medical injury lawyer will be able to help you. They argue their cases based on their knowledge of medical practice, the actions of your medical provider, and medical law.
Other Specialty Lawyers
Although automobile and medical injury cases are common, there are specialty lawyers for every type of injury. There are personal injury lawyers who specialize in injuries from defective products, paid activities, and workplace incidents.
No matter how unique your situation is, there is likely a lawyer who has specialized knowledge who can help you win your case.
Narrowing It Down
Once you’ve done some research, make a list of plaintiff lawyers and law firms who specialize in your type of case. Then you can begin the process of narrowing down your choices based on these factors:
Cost
The cost of your injury trial lawyer will be one of the main factors in choosing your lawyer. Some lawyers and law firms will charge an hourly rate, which can very expensive, especially when you are in a difficult financial situation.
If you can’t afford the hourly rate of a lawyer, make sure to choose a lawyer that works on a “contingency fee.” Lawyers who work on contingency fees are only paid if they win the case, and get paid a percentage of the compensation that is given.
These types of lawyers usually won’t take a case unless they know they can win, so make sure you have a strong case before trying to hire a lawyer who works on contingency.
Reputation
Your lawyer’s reputation is also very important. You research a lawyer or law firm’s reputation by reading customer reviews, contacting your state bar organization, or researching online.
You want to choose a lawyer who has a reputation for serving their clients and who doesn’t have any bad marks on their record. This will ensure you get great representation and have a better chance of winning your case.
Trial Experience
If you’re hiring an injury trial lawyer, you want to make sure that they have lots of trial experience. Because most personal injury cases settle pretrial, many cases don’t go to court.
There is a good chance your case will settle before going to trial, but you want to make sure that if your case does go to trial, your lawyer is ready and can win. When you are researching lawyers make sure to check their trial record, which will be available on their law firms’ site or in local court records.
Win Rate
If you’re going to go to trial, you want to make sure your lawyer has won a good percentage of their cases. A lawyer’s trial experience isn’t worth much if they don’t win when they go to court, so make sure that the lawyer you hire has a won a good percentage of cases they’ve taken to court.
Location
The final consideration you should make is the location of your lawyer. If you have a case that will require you going to court multiple times, a lawyer closer to your local courthouse will be a better choice since it will cost you less money and they might be more inclined to take your case.
Final Steps
After doing your research, getting a list of lawyers who meet your criteria, and narrowing it down, its time for the final steps: meeting your lawyer and interviewing them.
Once you’ve narrowed your choices down, you should call the lawyers and firms they work for to schedule a meeting or consultation. Sitting down with your potential lawyer to ask questions about the case, share your evidence, and get the lawyer’s opinion is very important, as it will let you know if you have a case that you can win and will also give you more information about what you need from your lawyer.
Time To Dig In
Now that you know more about how to choose an injury trial lawyer and what to look for, you can start doing your own research and find a lawyer who will stand up for your rights.
If you have any more questions about personal injury lawyers or how to find one, please visit our blog.
