What You Should Consider When Seeking a Car Accident Lawyer

If you were recently involved in a car accident, you likely feel as though you have a million things to do. But before you can move forward with anything, even filing a claim against the liable party, you need to hire an attorney to represent you in the upcoming proceedings. This will ensure you’re well protected against the insurance company and will ensure you stand the best possible chance at recovering the true and full value of your claim.

But this leaves one important question: how do you know which car accident law firm you should work with? There are thousands of lawyers across the country, and with so many options, it can be difficult to determine who will best suit your needs.

As you compare possible candidates, keep the following factors in mind. This will help you figure out who is the best fit for your case.

4 Factors to Consider Before Hiring a Car Accident Attorney

1. Communication

One of the most important skills any lawyer needs to possess is superb communication. Not only do they need to be able to clearly express the proceedings to their clients in a way that is both easy to understand and all-encompassing, but they also need to be able to present their client’s case in a way that is clear, commanding, solid, and convincing.

While it will be impossible to determine how any attorney will communicate in court just during a consultation, you can get a good idea based on how they handle your conversation. For example, do they advocate their services in an impressive manner? Are they able to answer your questions and concerns easily and in a straightforward manner?

2. Experience

Every attorney starts out as a newbie. But when you’re seeking a professional for something as serious as damages sustained after a car crash, you want to ensure the person you’re working with has more than a few years of experience under their belt. An attorney with adequate experience will know first-hand what it’s like to put together a case, giving them the best possible chance of successfully recovering the compensation you deserve.

3. Track Record

After finding out how long an attorney has been practicing, ask them to share their ratio of wins to losses. You want to go with a lawyer who has ongoing success recovering damages for their clients — especially in cases like yours. If they can’t point to at least 10 similar cases that had favorable outcomes, continue your search elsewhere.

4. Honesty

As an amateur, you’re going to be relying on your lawyer to keep you informed and advised at all times — even when the information doesn’t necessarily line up with what you want to hear. Your attorney should always be honest about the status of your case and the chances of success. For example, if they think that including particular damages in your claim will weaken the chances of overall success, they should tell you that. Their job is to steer you in the direction of the most favorable outcome possible, not sugar coat the truth in the hopes of making you happy.

At the end of the day, deciding on an attorney to represent your interests in a car accident claim is a highly personal decision. While you should use your best judgement and factor in the criteria listed above, it’s most important to trust your instincts and hire a professional you feel comfortable with and confident in. This will ensure you move forward with a solid partnership and are able to work together to recover the compensation you’re seeking.