If you have been hurt through someone else’s negligence or mistake, hiring a personal injury attorney is one of the most important decisions you can make. You may be concerned about how you will pay your medical bills and other expenses as you focus on healing and taking care of your family. You will need to find someone to help you through the process.

Don’t try to navigate the world of personal injury law without the help of a skilled, knowledgeable attorney. This is a time when you need someone on your side fighting for your rights. The law says that you are entitled to compensation for your losses. Trust an experienced attorney to help you get what you deserve.

7 Tips for Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney

1. Choose Experience in Cases Similar to Your Own

Vehicle Accidents

Vehicle accidents are among the most common reasons for a personal injury case. The vehicle involved is usually a car or truck but can also be a motorcycle, commercial vehicle, or another type of motorized vehicle.

In a case involving a vehicle accident, you will probably be contacted by the other party’s insurance representative who may try to talk you into accepting a settlement that is less than you are entitled to. You need an attorney with the experience to know what you deserve and how to fight for it.

Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving accidents are another type of vehicle accident, but there are extenuating circumstances. It is a very serious offense when the other party has chosen to drive under the influence of alcohol and has put you and others at risk. This is a special type of case that needs an attorney who knows the specifics of the law.

If you were hurt by a drunk driver, you will want to reach out to an attorney who knows how to approach this type of case and how the courts will handle the outcome.

Wrongful Death

A wrongful death case has occurred when your loved one has died due to someone else’s negligence. This can happen in a variety of different ways and a number of different parties may be responsible. Sometimes a wrongful death case can be complicated, and it takes an experienced attorney to sort out the details to get you justice.

Nursing Home Negligence or Abuse

You trust a nursing home to care properly for your loved one, and it is devasting when you find out that the person you love has been abused or neglected. You are entitled to compensation in this type of case, and the nursing home must be held responsible. Choose an attorney who can get justice for your loved one.

Slip-and-Fall

Businesses and property owners have a legal obligation to take certain steps to keep their properties safe for visitors and customers. If you have fallen and hurt yourself because of a safety hazard on someone else’s property, the property owner should be held accountable.

Defective Medical Equipment

Medical devices are like other forms of technology in that they can sometimes be defective. If medical equipment is found to be broken and someone gets hurt, the manufacturing company is responsible for that injury. Fighting a large manufacturing company is not an easy task, and you will want an attorney who knows how to handle a large organization.

Medical Malpractice

Sometimes doctors and hospitals become careless or distracted in their treatment of patients and they make mistakes that lead to injuries or even lost lives. If this has happened to you or someone you love, the law says that you are entitled to compensation from the medical organization that caused the injury.

Hospitals and doctors have medical malpractice insurance staffed with lawyers who will be fighting on their side. For the best outcome in your case, you will need a lawyer with the experience to stand up to these legal teams and get you compensation.

2. Ask About Past Winning Cases

When you choose to hire a personal injury attorney, you will want to know about that person’s record of successfully winning cases. You will also want to find out how much compensation other clients in situations similar to yours have been awarded through settlements or by the court.

3. Hire a Skilled Negotiator

Personal injury cases are often settled out of court through negotiation between the two parties. This means that you will want the person representing you to be a tough negotiator who will not back down from a challenge and who knows how to get the other party to agree to a fair settlement. 

Insurance companies have attorneys working for them whose job it is to negotiate the lowest settlement possible. You do not want to have to face these attorneys on your own. Hire a lawyer who has experience in successful negotiation.

4. Find an Attorney with Trial Experience 

If the two parties cannot agree on the terms of a settlement, then the personal injury case must go to court. Be sure that you have an attorney who is comfortable in front of a courtroom arguing a case on your behalf. Your attorney should have experience in court and not hesitate in taking that step if the time is right. 

5. Find an Attorney with Knowledge of the Process

To appropriately represent you, a personal injury lawyer must have a complete working knowledge of the process and the law regarding cases like yours. Laws are constantly changing, and the right attorney can keep up with the laws and always know what is coming next. 
Only someone who understands the process inside and out will be able to properly advise you of your next steps and tell you what will be needed to win your case. 
 

6. Call a Lawyer Who Will Work to Prove Your Case

Your attorney will listen carefully to your story and then work to put together a case that proves your injuries and your entitlement to compensation. This may include gathering paperwork, taking pictures, obtaining medical documents, or even talking to witnesses. 

Your personal injury attorney will let you know exactly what kind of proof you will need to provide to the courts, provide the necessary tools to obtain it, and will even demand it from hospitals or other organizations if necessary. You will not be left to gather this important evidence alone.

7. Do Not Hesitate

Time is a critical factor in your personal injury case. Some parts of your case may have time limits, and you will need to gather your evidence while it is still available and relevant. For these reasons, you will need to choose and hire an attorney as soon as possible to get started working on your case. 

As soon as you have been injured, you should make a phone call to an attorney and have a consultation. Your attorney will carefully evaluate your case and advise you on how to proceed.

The best thing you can do for yourself when you have been hurt through someone else’s mistake is to call an attorney who can fight on your side. If you or a loved one have been injured, call us at Cannon and Associates to schedule a free consultation. We want to help you get the compensation you deserve.