It might seem overwhelming to choose the right personal injuries attorney. It can be difficult to sort through the barrage of lawyer advertising and marketing to determine fact from fiction. If you’ve been hurt in an accident and need a lawyer to represent you, there are many people who have been in your position before. This article will help you avoid making costly mistakes when choosing a lawyer.
St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyers at Jenkins Law Office understand the difficulties you might find yourself in following an accident. After an accident, you may not be able to drive your car or work because of the injuries. These situations can cause a lot of stress for you and your family. Add in the calls from insurance companies and you might feel like you won’t have the time to find the right personal injuries attorney. There are steps you can take to make the process easier. It is the most important decision you make after an accident. The better you choose, the better your experience.
Select A Specialist
Would you choose a cardiologist over a family doctor if you had a serious heart condition? The specialist would be the one you choose, right? Lawyers are the same. The same goes for lawyers in St. There are many lawyers in St. Petersburg who will take your case even if they don’t know what to do. Many of their clients realize what they did wrong and come to us for assistance. Their cases are often mismanaged and they can be difficult to fix. A personal injuries specialist can help you avoid making the same mistakes as an inexperienced lawyer. In every case, it is a good idea to hire a specialist. This rule is applicable regardless of whether or not you have previously used a lawyer in a similar matter. It does not necessarily mean that the lawyer you know from church is trustworthy or knows how to properly handle a personal injuries claim.
Do Your Research
It’s great if you already know a lawyer. It’s great if you can get a referral from one or two people. You should still do your research on them. It’s easy to search for a lawyer and visit his or her website. Look at the reviews and decide if the lawyer is right for you. You might also consider looking at independent ranking sites for lawyers. Sites such as Martindale.com and avvo.com are great resources for finding lawyers. All of these sites can be helpful tools to help you judge and rate the lawyer.
New clients often tell me that they have a list of lawyers who could help. Perhaps they were referred by their doctor or another lawyer. Clients tell me without fail that they chose me because of the way they researched the list of lawyers and the information they found about me.
Meet With a Lawyer, Not a Paralegal
People complain that their lawyer doesn’t communicate well with them. You can’t complain if you have hired a personal injury lawyer without ever meeting him. It amazes me that people can hire lawyers even though they have never met them. A south Florida law firm even sent me a contract. It is obvious that you should not expect to speak to a lawyer before you sign the contracts to hire him. Does that mean you have just agreed to pay 1/3 to a paralegal?
Every client is a priority to me and my law firm. Most cases will involve us receiving an incoming phone call or email, and setting up an appointment. Although we can email our contracts, it is best to meet with clients to better understand their cases. The client will also be able to better understand how we handle files and what they can expect during the claim. In order to decrease the chance that your file will be treated as a number, and you are not being handled by a lawyer, insist on meeting with your lawyer. This is a reasonable request. If the lawyer refuses to meet you, don’t hire them.
Discuss The Contract With The Lawyer
A written contract is required by the Florida Bar to allow clients to recover money from bodily injury. The lawyer must also review and sign a Statement Of Clients’ Rights form. Because they outline the terms of the contract, they are essential for clients to understand. Although most contracts are the same, many clients have reported that their previous lawyer did not go over them and they just signed. Paralegals are not qualified to review binding legal contracts. No matter how skilled a paralegal maybe, they should not be involved in signing the contract between you or your lawyer. A lawyer is responsible for explaining the contract to you and answering any questions. This is a red flag if the lawyer fails to perform their duties with you.
Ask Questions About Your Case
If you wish to have full control over your case, you can be the client. You should also understand why your lawyer suggests that you do certain actions. Every client should ask questions during the initial meeting as well as any subsequent meetings. Because it’s easier for me to investigate the issue and get back to them that way, I encourage my clients to email me any questions they may have. However, you can always call me. Although the initial meeting may be full of information, people will not always process all of it. The more questions asked and answered, I believe, the better communication between the client and lawyer. Ask questions. You’re paying 1/3 of your income to the lawyer.
Get in touch with the best St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys
This post was written by Kelly-Ann Jenkins of https://www.jenkinslawpl.com/. Kelly-Ann is an insurance claim Lawyer. The information on this site is not intended to and does not offer legal advice, legal recommendations or legal representation on any matter. Hiring an attorney is an important decision, which should not be based on advertising. You need to consult an attorney for legal advice regarding your individual situation.
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