Questions Before Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

Before you commit to hiring a personal injury attorney, ask yourself the following questions. Have you been injured as the result of another person or company's accidental or intentional negligence? Is your injury so severe that you've suffered lost wages or garnishments, mental or physical distress, or steep medical bills? Do you have evidence and commonsense on your side in the case? Have you already compromised your chances for a settlement by talking extensively with the potential defendant's attorney or giving statements to the defendant's insurance company?

Once you've asked and answered these questions, it may be wise to start searching for a personal injury attorney. Look for a personal injury attorney with lots of experience -- the American Association of Trial Lawyers and the Martindale-Hubbell Network of Legal Professionals may both be able to clue you into some top-tier attorneys in your area. In addition, find a personal injury attorney who will take your case payable via contingency.

A good contingency rate is around 25 to 30 percent of the monies that you'll be paid at the end of a successful trial. Before you retain a personal injury attorney, you'll want to have a face-to-face meeting with him or her, and you'll want to make sure that the attorney doesn't have any conflicts of interest in your case. Ask for the law firm's promotional brochures, and solicit references from trusted business associates and family members to find other personal injury attorney resources.

Many potential plaintiffs -- even people with bulletproof cases -- never file suits or motions in court because of the perceived hassle and embarrassment associated with going to trial. While it's true that some personal injury cases can get quite grueling and drawn out, if the dollar amount of your suffering is large enough to merit action, it certainly won't hurt you to consult with a recommended personal injury attorney to see whether or not you may have a case. Remember that simply talking to a personal injury attorney doesn't preclude you from not taking legal action -- it simply opens your eyes to various possibilities of redress.

Finally, before you get involved with a personal injury attorney, calculate the value of your time. If you spend six months in trial trying to recoup a small amount of damages from a defendant, you're in effect taking six months vacation from your primary occupation and suffering the stresses and frustrations of trial that will inevitably ensue.