Personal injury cases are difficult to handle because there are usually many parties involved in the case. There are also state and federal laws as well as case law that dictate how these cases should be handled. When you want to sue someone for injuring you in one way or another, you have to look for the most competent personal injury lawyer you can find. Every city has thousands of injury lawyers. However, they are not all equal. To find the best lawyer to handle your case, there are many key factors you have to consider. They include:
1. Experience
The best lawyers in the industry, like our recommendation personalinjurynewyorkcity.com, are usually those with many years of experience. When looking for a suitable lawyer therefore, be sure to shortlist lawyers who have been around for over a decade. The ideal lawyer must have also handled many similar types of cases. By checking both the years of experience and number of cases handled, you can effectively compare experiences and choose the most experienced attorney to handle the case at hand. That said, you can expect to get the best possible outcome when you are represented by an experienced attorney.
2. Area of Specialization
There are many types of injury cases. For instance, there are car accident cases, slip and fall cases, dog bite, product liability and medical malpractice cases among others. Whatever the injuries you sustained, or how you sustained them, be sure to look for lawyers who have specialized in the right field. For instance, if you slipped and fell in a shopping mall due to a lose floor tile or wet floor, you can sue the property owner and property manager for your injuries. In such a case, you should only consider hiring slip and fall lawyers because they know how best to handle your case and help you get the compensation you are seeking.
3. Reputation
Lawyers usually develop a bad or good reputation as they serve the public. Since the reputation of a lawyer can have an adverse effect on your case, be sure to read reviews, news articles and testimonials, and check the ratings of the shortlisted attorneys to identify the most reputable and most trusted lawyers. When you are represented by a respected attorney, you can expect other members of the bar, including opposing counsel, to address you with respect. This will boost your chances of getting the desired outcome.
4. Win Rate
Only lawyers with the highest success rates should be accorded special consideration. This is because you want to have the best chances of success. You cannot hire a lawyer with less than 50% win rate to help you win the case or negotiate a decent settlement out of court. Therefore, only lawyers with at least 75% win rate should be given any further consideration.
5. Fees
The fees charged by the shortlisted lawyers should be compared. You are looking for lawyers with the most competitive legal fees. Since injury lawyers usually charge a contingency fee, you need to compare them to ensure you do not lose a large fraction of the negotiated settlement or court award.
