September 12, 2019 Ask a Lawyer,Personal Injury
After an accident, there is a lot of uncertainty, pain, and fear. Choosing a good personal injury attorney that will make the process as easy as possible can be difficult. Not to mention, picking the right injury attorney will be the most important step you will make towards a good outcome of your claim. Since not all attorneys are made the same it requires careful consideration. Below are some guidelines to consider when choosing a personal injury attorney.
This may seem obvious but it’s very important when choosing an Atlanta personal injury lawyer to make sure that they are accredited and certified. Simply put, you wouldn’t want an untrained doctor doing open heart surgery on you. So, it’s important to know that the attorney you choose is certified from an accredited law school and registered with the Georgia State Bar Association as a barred attorney.
One of the best place to look to see if they are in good standing with the State Bar Association is going directly to their website. By going to the website you’ll be able to search for any disciplinary actions that have been taken against them, if they are in good standing, and even if they’re allowed to practice law at all. Legal associations are important because this shows that a lawyer is committed to continue learning, even out of law school, from other experienced personal injury attorneys. For you as a client, this means that you’re hiring an attorney that is not only committed to fight for you but also has your best interest in mind.
The legal system as we know is very extensive and very complicated. Because of this, skills and experience vary between types of law. It’s very important to understand what kind of law a lawyer practices as not every law is the same and not every lawyer can practice every type of law.
In other words, are they willing to take on any case regardless of what type of law it is. For example, one day they take on a case where they defend a man charged with murder, the next day they’re trying to close a real estate transaction. While this makes it seem like the attorney is very smart and versatile, the reality is that most of the time general practitioners are a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. In other words, they may have an idea of what to do, and sometimes can do a good job but they are by far experts in any specific type of law.
Like a general practitioner, its very important to understand that hiring a criminal defense attorney wouldn’t be a good idea if you’re in a car accident. It’s important to choose an accident attorney that specializes in personal injury law because a personal injury attorney will have the experience and specialized skill set that are best suited for your car accident case. This comes from working every single day in the voluminous laws that affect your specific situation. The lawyers at BMW Law specialize in personal injury law, and because they have spent hours working through the complexities and intricacies of personal injury law, they have gained specific skills and experience that will get you the most for your pain and suffering.
One of the most important things to consider when hiring the right attorney is to find out if they have the resources and the willingness to fight for you till the end. In some cases, attorneys will take the first offer to avoid taking the case to court; either for lack of funding, knowledge, or commitment. Even worse some attorneys are scared to even try cases in open court.
Personal injury cases are expensive and can range anywhere from $500 to $50,000 per case. In other words, law firms must have the appropriate budget to represent you. Having an attorney that has the resources to properly defend you is very important because this will directly affect the outcome of the case and potentially your compensation.
You would expect an attorney to be willing to go court and fight for your case; however, this is not always not the case. Some attorneys are not willing to take a case to court and litigate them, meaning they are not willing to take it to court and argue it in front a jury deciding rather to settle a case outside of court for whatever the insurance company will give them. Some law firms strong arm their attorneys into settling a case as fast as possible because of the belief that if a case is settled outside of court then the law firm will make more money. So, choosing a personal injury attorney that has your best interest in mind is very important for your case’s outcome.
It’s important that you go online and look at the different reviews that your perspective attorney has. Are they well reviewed? What do past clients think about them? It’s important to see what past clients think to get an idea of how well an attorney will handle your case and how far they will be willing to go, legally speaking. Asking friends and family about a good personal injury attorney is also a good place to start when it comes to finding the best injury attorney for you.
Attorney’s fees can vary depending on the law firm and even from case to case. It’s also important to note how they charge, do they charge by the hour? Do they charge if you lose? Do they offer a “no fee, no recovery” option? It’s important as a prospective client to figure out what you are comfortable paying for and how your attorney charges their fees.
An important thing to look out for is whether your attorney will charge you if you lose. Most attorneys have a policy of working on a contingent fee basis, which means that they will charge 33.33% of the compensated amount. For example, if a client gets $25,000 out of case then the attorney will get $8332 of that $25,000 for attorney fees. However, there are attorneys that will expect you to pay even if you lose the case and don’t recover any monetary compensation.
Choosing the right attorney is very important because not only will they guide you through the entire legal process, but you will likely have a very long relationship with them. Some cases can last somewhere between 6 months to 6 years (or even longer) so it’s important to be able to tolerate, talk, and trust your attorney throughout the process.
At Bross, McAllister & Williams, LLC we strive to always be available for our clients if they have any questions. Each one of our clients has their lead attorney’s personal cell phone number just to show how committed we are to their case. All attorneys that practice at BMW Law are accredited and fight fairly for what you deserve. Our Atlanta accident lawyers are in this fight with you. That’s why we won’t take ANY fees from your case unless you win! If you or someone you know has been injured because of someone else’s negligence, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or contact us online. We’re always here to help you on your road to recovery!
We also specialize in Real Estate Closings. For more information, please, call (770) 225-4710 or visit us Here Close