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After an accident, you need to find a personal injury lawyer in New York to represent your interests and protect your claims to compensation. But do you know what to look for in a personal injury attorney to find the right one for you? Here at The Law Offices of Justin D. Brandel, our team has years of experience successfully representing our injured clients and can provide quality guidance on what you should look for in a personal injury lawyer. If you would like to learn more about how our office can help in your personal injury case, call or contact us today to schedule a consultation.
The first thing that you should want when researching potential personal injury lawyers is an attorney with a specialized practice in New York injury cases. Attorneys with a generalized practice have a little experience in many areas of law, but they usually lack significant experience in any particular area of practice. When you hire a personal injury attorney, you want one that focuses solely on personal injury law.
A New York lawyer with a specialized practice in injury law will be up to date on the current law, understand the nuances of this area of practice, and have experience with the insurance companies that you will be battling in your case. Furthermore, the lawyer should have a specialty in your type of personal injury claim, whether it is car accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall cases, or another kind of accident. You want a lawyer who knows the types of injuries common in your type of case as well as the full and fair value of your claim.
The next thing that you should look for when looking at personal injury lawyers is whether the attorney has a proven track record of success in your type of personal injury case. When meeting with potential lawyers, you should specifically ask what their overall success rate is with personal injury cases generally as well as with your type of injury claim. What is the average settlement this lawyer has received for an accident case with your injuries? You will find that some attorneys push for higher settlements for their clients than others.
You should also ask potential personal injury lawyers about their level of trial experience. Your attorney should have trial experience in personal injury cases. In the majority of personal injury claims, your attorney will negotiate with the insurers to reach a settlement that accurately reflects the costs of your injuries after an accident. However, there are cases where a settlement cannot be reached, and questions of fault or compensation must be taken to trial. You need a personal injury lawyer in New York who not only has trial experience but successfully advocated for clients at trial.
You should also look for a personal injury lawyer that focuses specifically on representing accident victims. Some personal injury attorneys handle both sides of cases, representing both insurance companies and accident victims. You want a lawyer who is focused solely on the victim’s side of personal injury claims. Lawyers who work for both sides may be more likely to settle for less because they become sympathetic to the insurers or want to retain their business. You need someone who will always aggressively fight for you.
When speaking to potential New York personal injury lawyers, you should inquire about the level of resources their firm has at its disposal for your type of claim. You want to hire a lawyer at a firm who has the resources necessary to successfully advocate for your case. Depending on the type of accident and injuries, this could include access to personal investigators, expert witnesses, and others who can help solidify your injury claims. It could also include access to practice management resources like online bill pay or e-signing documents, which can be particularly important if your injuries make it difficult to travel to the law office. Ask potential personal injury lawyers about the resources they have available to help with your case.
You should also look for a personal injury lawyer who works on contingency. This refers to the type of fee structure that the attorney charges for his or her work. For other practices of law, an attorney might require a retainer fee or bill the client monthly for services. However, the vast majority of personal injury lawyers work on contingency, which means that the lawyer does not get paid unless the client wins compensation for the case. Typically, a lawyer will take between 25% and 35% of the overall award, depending on how complex your personal injury case is. You want a personal injury lawyer who works on contingency because it makes them just as invested as you in getting the best possible outcome for your case.
Finally, you want a New York personal injury lawyer who is able to provide you with referrals to satisfied clients. If a lawyer is unable to provide you with the contact information of satisfied clients you should be concerned about his or her capacity as a quality attorney. A lack of referrals could either mean that the attorney does not work well with others or has not had the level of success described to you in your conversations. A successful personal injury attorney will always be able to provide you with satisfied clients who can speak to their competence as a lawyer.
If you would like to learn more about what to look for when searching for a personal injury lawyer in New York, The Law Offices of Justin D. Brandel are here to help. Call the office or contact us today to schedule an evaluation of your case and speak with a highly qualified personal injury attorney now.
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