Finding the Right Personal Injury Attorney: 5 Traits to Look For

By: dru-man | Posted: 05th May 2010

Looking for a personal injury attorney is typically a stressful process simply due to the nature of your claim. If you were not injured, you would not need them in the first place, so you are typically already faced with physical, mental, and financial stress. This is the type of state where you can easily make some poor decisions, so be sure to take your time finding the right representation.

Here are 5 things to ask your personal injury attorney:

1. How Many Cases Have They Lost/ Won?

Some people make the mistake of thinking that they need a lawyer, any lawyer, and do not take the time to even find out what kind of experience the first lawyer they speak with has. While it is certainly a good idea to have some type of legal representation, it is a better idea to find out what kind of win/ loss ratio the attorney has in this type of case.

2. Do They Have Trial Experience?

Many personal injury attorneys worth their salt will end up closing the case with an out-of-court-settlement, as this is often the best way to get the best outcome with the least risk, but it is advisable to work with someone who has some trial experience should the case go the long run. If your lawyer doesn't have actual trial experience with personal injury cases and your opposition has reason to believe they can win, you can be sure they will have this information.

3. How Much Experience Do They Have?

Sure, everyone has to learn somewhere, but you typically do not want your lawyer to do all their learning on your case. Find someone with some real experience in the field, and as mentioned above, experience winning in a court of law is a good thing.

4. Is Personal Injury A Specialty?

Most good attorneys specialize in certain areas of law. Make sure that personal injury is one of your lawyer's specialties so you know they have the proper representation for winning this kind of case. Every field of law takes specialized knowledge, and this can have a huge effect on results.

5. What Are My Chances of Winning this Case?

A good lawyer might see this as a trick question, but that is okay. You should be weary of lawyers that make big promises especially if they have not even heard the details about your case. There is no way to immediately know if you are going to be able to win, and a proper attorney will tell you in the beginning an honest assessment of your chance of winning (after they get the details) but not promise you the world.


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Learn more about selecting the right Milwauke personal injury attorney.
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Tags: mistake, risk, lawyer, personal injury cases, legal representation, personal injury attorney, financial stress, case 2, opposition, areas of law, poor decisions, court settlement, personal injury attorneys