If you’ve experienced a serious injury, you are likely dealing with the ongoing effects, such as medical procedures, physical therapy, pain management, impacts on your career, and sometimes daily struggles to accomplish routine tasks you once completed without a second thought. While a personal injury claim against the party responsible for your injury is essential for recovering the compensation you need to relieve injury-related financial hardship, it’s also a complex process. Instead of adding a challenging legal endeavor into the mix while recovering, choosing the right personal injury attorney in Van Nuys helps streamline the process, minimize distress, and maximize the chances for a favorable outcome in your case.
Finding a Personal Injury Lawyer In California
First, it’s always best to start with personal recommendations. If you know someone who has had a successful personal injury case, ask about the law firm they used. Read client reviews and the law firm’s posted history of results.
A reputable personal injury attorney in California should not charge a client anything up front. Unlike divorce lawyers and criminal attorneys, a personal injury lawyer offers a free evaluation of your case and, if hired, provides legal representation throughout your claim at no cost until after they have recovered compensation for you in your case. If they do not obtain compensation through a settlement or court award for your damages, you pay nothing. This is called contingency-based payment and is the accepted standard for personal injury lawyers in the legal realm.
Be sure to ask a prospective personal injury attorney about their payment structure and what percentage of your compensation they charge you after obtaining a resolution in your case.
Choose a Lawyer Who Has Handled Similar Cases
It’s beneficial to choose a personal injury attorney who has a successful history of handling cases similar to your own. For instance, if you’ve been injured through a negligent doctor’s malpractice, you don’t want to choose an attorney with a case history of mainly handling car accident claims. Instead, choose a personal injury lawyer with a history of notable results in malpractice claims.
By choosing an attorney with a history of exceptional results in the same category of personal injury law as yours, you not only choose the right lawyer to handle your case because they are deeply familiar with that area of law, but it also puts a well-respected voice behind your case.
Choosing a Lawyer by Meeting With a Potential Attorney
Finally, meeting an attorney you are considering to represent you in your case in person is important. Not only does it help you to get an impression of them and ensure that you have a good rapport, but it also allows you to ask critical questions, such as:
- Are you the attorney who will work on my case or will you turn it over to an associate? And, if so, can I meet with the associate in person?
- Ask about their fee structure
- Question them about their legal background, education, and experience with cases similar to yours
- Note their communication skills so you have an idea of how they present themselves when negotiating for a settlement or arguing your case in court
- Ask how long they’ve practiced law in your state, what percentage of their cases are personal injury claims, and what their recent results have been in cases similar to yours.
It’s important to trust your attorney and feel comfortable with them so you can tell them everything they need to know by being forthright and honest during all questioning.
Choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your case is the first important step toward achieving the financial accountability you deserve. To schedule a free consultation with our team at Martinian Lawyers, call (323) 985-7969.
