Before speaking to a prospective accident attorney, consider what factors you want to look for in your legal counsel.
Look for Experience with Personal Injury Cases
First, you should consider an attorney with extensive experience handling personal injury cases. Consider hiring a lawyer who focuses on personal injury cases in Florida. Each state has unique laws and rules governing personal injury cases, so you will want an attorney familiar with the intricacies of Florida personal injury law. Moreover, you should look for a personal injury attorney with a proven track record in the type of personal injury case you have. For example, if you have a car accident claim, you should hire an attorney with considerable experience representing car accident victims. During initial consultations with prospective personal injury attorneys, you can ask about the lawyer’s years in practice, the average balance of their caseload, and the past outcomes they’ve achieved for other clients.
Choose a Florida Attorney Familiar with State Laws and Procedures
In addition to the unique aspects of personal injury law, Florida has specific rules and procedures for pursuing court cases for personal injury claims. You should look for a personal injury lawyer familiar with Florida’s personal injury laws and the state’s civil procedure and local court rules. An attorney well-versed in the law can help you evaluate your legal options and the strength of your case. Furthermore, a lawyer experienced with civil litigation rules can help you pursue your personal injury claims in court if you cannot settle your case with an at-fault party. Attorneys with litigation experience will also have well-developed working relationships with court staff and judges, which can help make the legal process smoother for your case.
Check Reputation and Client Reviews
You can get a sense of an attorney’s skill and the quality of their service by reading online reviews, testimonials, and ratings on third-party review platforms, such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, Avvo, and Martindale-Hubbell. Although review platforms may have mostly positive reviews for attorneys, they may also contain reviews from clients dissatisfied with the attorney’s service. Furthermore, you can go to the Florida Bar’s website to check the attorney’s profile to see if they have had any disciplinary proceedings. When you meet with a prospective attorney, you can ask them for references or detailed testimonials from past clients.
Evaluate Working Approach
During your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer, you should consider how the attorney interacts with you and how comfortable you feel with them. For example, you should feel comfortable asking questions without feeling like you’ve inconvenienced the attorney. Furthermore, a personal injury lawyer should advise you to empower you to make the critical decisions in your case, rather than pressuring you into a decision the attorney wants you to make. Moreover, you can ask an attorney about their communication style, including how frequently they will update you about your case, how quickly they will respond to your communications, whether you can get in direct contact with the attorney, and whether you can call, email, or text them.
Understand the Fee Structure
Finally, you should understand a prospective personal injury attorney’s fee structure. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing to hire them for your case. Instead, the attorney gets paid if they recover compensation in a settlement or court judgment, taking an agreed-upon percentage of your total compensation. You should understand what percentage fee the attorney will collect if they win your case and how the attorney handles reimbursement of expenses they incur in pursuing your case.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today
When you need legal advice and advocacy to help you seek financial recovery after an accident in Florida, turn to the legal team at Hutch Firm. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a personal injury attorney to discuss how our firm will fight to secure the compensation and justice you deserve after getting hurt due to another party’s negligence.