How to Find the Best Personal Injury Attorney For Your Case-Best Personal Injury Attorneys

How to Find the Best Personal Injury Attorney For Your Case

Copyright (c) 2009 Benjamin Glass

If you have been injured in an accident, you may not actually need a lawyer. But, if you find that dealing with the claim on your own is too overwhelming, you’ll probably want to at least consult with a nationally board-certified personal injury attorney in your area.

How can you tell the difference between an experienced and able personal injury attorney and a “generalist” who also “handles” car accident cases?

Here are some tips:

CALL AND ASK FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION. Don’t agree to a “free consultation” without knowing who you are meeting. Usually, there is no rush with a personal injury claim. While each state is different, most states give you anywhere from six months (to assert a claim against a governmental agency or city) to several years to file your claim. So when calling a lawyer’s office, ask them to send you their “information package on YOUR TYPE OF case.” Ask them to include anything you should read that would convince you to hire them as your attorneys. If they say, “The only way to get this information is to come in,” all you have to do is hang up. Just like buying a high-priced consumer product, you are usually better off doing all of your initial research in the comfort of your own home. You don’t want to be subjected to any high pressure sales tactics, do you?

BEWARE OF ANY LAWYER WHO PHONES YOU FIRST. And beware of a lawyer who has someone else directly solicit you in person after you have been injured. Did someone show up in an emergency room and offer to hook you up with a lawyer? Run. This is illegal in most states. In-person solicitation by a lawyer (or someone representing a law firm) who does not have a prior relationship with you is universally condemned. Some lawyers may contact you by mail after you have been in an accident. No problem with that. You can just throw the letters away if you want.

After you have done your preliminary homework, NARROW YOUR SEARCH TO THREE TO FIVE LAWYERS who appear to be experienced with your legal problem. Make an appointment to interview them. There is no substitute for an in-person interview. No matter how experienced or successful a lawyer is, you must feel comfortable with them. You have to trust them. Many will agree to meet you in your home if you cannot travel to the office.

Now that you have arranged an in-person interview, ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS if you are looking for a personal injury or medical malpractice attorney. Remember, the best and most experienced attorneys usually have a line of people begging to hire them. They are usually very selective in choosing the types of cases they will handle. These attorneys will not be insulted or put off by your questions but rather they will welcome them, because it shows you are taking steps to educate yourself.

A sample of important questions to ask:
1. Do you have actual experience handling my type of case?
2. Where can I read about your other cases?
3. Have you won any large verdicts or settlements? 4. Are you board certified by any state or nationally recognized organizations?
5. Do you carry malpractice insurance?
6. Have you been disciplined by your state bar association?
7. Who in your office will be working on my case?
8. What is my case worth?
9. Do you represent any insurance companies at all? (You really need to know where their interests lie. Some lawyers do most of their work for the insurance companies. This may suit you just fine. For others, the appearance of bias would be too much.)
10. Can I take a copy of the written fee agreement home with me to study? (There is no “standard” fee and no standard fee agreement. Do not assume that if you have seen one, you have seen them all.)

And the best question of all: Who else should be on my list of attorneys to consider? This is a great question because the names you see coming up time and time again are as close to a “sure bet” to be the right lawyer as you can get!

All good, competent, honest attorneys will freely share their information with you. These attorneys have as much (or more) work than they can handle. If they won’t give you any other names, then leave! It may be a huge warning sign that they are starving for business-?not a good sign.

Remember, don’t panic and impulsively choose a lawyer without carefully doing your homework. There is no subsitute for taking the time up front to ensure you get the right lawyer for your case.

Ben Glass is a personal injury attorney in Fairfax, Virginia. He has been representing individuals against the insurance companies since 1983. He has authored numerous consumer publications, including The Truth About Lawyer Advertising and The Ultimate Guide to Personal Injury Claims in Virgina. He is a frequent lecturer to the legal community. Visit his web site at www.BenGlassLaw.com.

Find Choose Hire the Best Personal Injury Attorney Dallas-Best Personal Injury Attorneys

Find Choose Hire the Best Personal Injury Attorney Dallas

Title: Traffic Accidents in Dallas

Every person, no matter who they are, that is driving a motor vehicle in Texas, must take measures to ensure that they are exercising care while operating the vehicle. This means that they must not commit acts that they know are likely to cause injury or harm to another person or to property. You are considered negligent if you fail to take reasonable care while operating a motor vehicle under Texas State Law.
It is the duty of the driver to observe nearby traffic and the area and to take necessary precautions to avoid an accident. It is up to the driver of a motor vehicle to pay proper attention to the road and other drivers to avoid a car accident. Failure to maintain the “proper lookout” standard is considered negligence. However, there are situations that may occur where you were on the lookout and the other person in another vehicle was not and the accident occurred. Although, we can do everything in our power to try to avoid an accident, the truth of the matter is that accidents can still occur.
The actions of others are beyond our control. When a person fails to stop at a red light or stop sign, they are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they are driving above the posted speed limit, they are distracted by the phone or other passengers, they fail to obey traffic laws and so forth, they are being negligent in the eyes of the Texas State Law.

Cell phones have become a major contribution to traffic accidents. Whether the person is distracted by talking on the phone or they are distracted by texting someone, they are still being negligent. When traffic accidents occur, everyone involved has mixed emotions and become stressed. Emotions are the trigger for tempers flaring. Whenever you are involved in a traffic accident, avoid having your emotions come into play.
No matter what the distraction may be, an accident can occur whether you were being careful or not. When you have to depend on every other driver out there being careful, you can only do so much watching. Being aware of the situations around you can help you possibly avoid a traffic accident, but you cannot look in every direction at every second.
Texas is a proportional comparative fault state. Proportional comparative fault means that if a person is found to be more than 51 percent at fault for a traffic accident, they cannot file a liability claim or lawsuit against you. It does not matter if they were injured in the traffic accident also; they are found to be at fault and are responsible for their own injuries along with yours and any other person involved in the accident. If you or someone that you know is injured in a traffic accident, you may be entitled to damages. You can bring a lawsuit against the guilty parties that were at fault for the traffic accident. You would need to contact a Personal Injury Accident Attorney in Dallas or whatever city you are closest to. If there is question to who is at fault, the Personal Injury Accident Attorney can assist you with this.
A person that is driving is required under the Texas Financial Responsibility Law, to care a minimum amount of insurance on their vehicles. This minimum amount is ,000 for each injured person up to a total of ,000 per accident and ,000 for property damage. These amount could change so always be sure that you carry at least the minimum requirements per Texas Law.
Just remember that you can always contact a Personal Injury accident Attorney if you have any questions to the guilty party, the amount of damages, or any other questions that you may have.