If you get injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your losses. But your success will usually depend on whether or not you have a good attorney, making choosing one a crucial task. It doesn’t help that there are so many lawyers out there, all with varying experience levels and practices.
Below, we highlight all you need to know about how to choose a good personal injury attorney. Contact Cimarron Ridge Legal Group to talk to one of our Grand Junction Personal Injury Lawyers.
Ask for a Recommendation
Many personal injury attorneys use local publications, billboards, and websites to advertise their practices and law firms. While these advertisements may be a great place to start, you should try not to base your decision of hiring an attorney on them. Instead, you should use your network to find someone trustworthy in the following ways:
- Contact a lawyer you have worked with before on a different case and ask them to refer a personal injury attorney.
- Ask your family and friends to refer an attorney they may have worked with previously.
Check the Lawyer’s Ratings
Asking your friends, family, or previous attorney is an excellent way to create a shortlist of attorneys you will consider. You can now focus on ensuring they are a member in good standing in the state and their local bar association. Usually, you can do this by reading the referral list provided by large bar associations. You can also turn to online rating guides like:
- Martindale Peer Reviews
- Avvo Ratings
- Super Lawyers
Checking lawyer ratings should help you narrow down your list to three or four candidates.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Lawyer
Now that you have narrowed down your list to a few prospective attorneys, you can work on eliminating some and picking the best one for your case. You will need to consider the following factors:
- Professional Experience
Even if your attorney graduated from an Ivy League school and has been practicing for over 40 years, it won’t matter if their area of focus is anything other than personal injury. Find out how many years every attorney has been handling cases like yours.
- Work Load
How busy is your personal injury attorney? How readily are they available every time you call them to discuss your case? If your attorney has a heavy caseload, they may not dedicate enough time to your case, which could compromise it.
- Fee Structure
Once you establish that an attorney has handled a case like yours before and is willing to dedicate enough time to yours, you should consider their fees. Do they work on a contingency fee basis, or will you have to pay legal fees upfront?
Talk to a Grand Junction Personal Injury Lawyer
Choosing a personal injury attorney means putting your hope of getting compensated in someone else. You have to believe that they will put your interests first and defend you. If you have read through these tips on how to choose a good personal injury attorney, you are ready to find legal representation.
The Grand Junction Personal Injury Lawyers at our firm boast a collective experience of fighting for the rights of injured victims. If you have been injured through no fault of your own, contact us today at (970) 644-5194 to schedule a consultation.
