How Can I Find an Attorney for a Car Accident Injury?

Imagine you get into a car accident. You see that your car is not only wrecked but you also may be hurt.

Unfortunately, this is all too common in the United States. There are about 2.1 million car accidents each year that result in emergency department visits.

If you are the latest victim of a car accident, you may be seeking a car accident lawyer to get some justice.

What should you look for in a car accident attorney? How do you find the best car accident attorney?

This guide will answer those questions and more.

Search Your Location

The first thing that you should do is search your location. In all likelihood, most lawyers practice within a certain region of a city or state.

So, you could search for something like "best car accident lawyer near me" or "car accident lawyer near me" to get the results you need.

A benefit of choosing a lawyer that practices in a certain area is that they are going to likely know the prosecutors, judges, and other lawyers that work in this town. This could mean that they may have a better chance of developing a winning strategy for your case.

On top of this, it can be more convenient for you to hire a lawyer that practices near your location. It can make it easier for free consultations, follow-up meetings, drive time to and from their office, and more. If you are looking for a lawyer for a car accident case, this is a good place to start.

Consider the Cost

The next thing you are going to have to do is consider the cost of a lawyer in a car accident case.

There is some good news here. The good news is that you are likely not going to have to pay anything in advance.

The reason why is that with your type of case, a lawyer is very likely to accept a contingency fee.

What is this? Instead of paying your lawyer an hourly rate, they will receive a decent percentage of the possible compensation that you get from this case.

If money is a concern for you, then you should ask any car accident lawyer that you meet how much money they are going to want for their services. Some may go as high as 40% while others may go as low as 30%.

However, do be warned that you should be careful hiring a lawyer solely based on how much they are charging. This is especially the case if one lawyer is charging a much lower rate than their competition.

Think about it. There could be a reason for this such as that lawyer having a lower success rate with these types of cases.

The point is that you should definitely ask for a quote from a lawyer but do not let this be 100% of your decision.

Ask Around

If you are having a hard time finding the best car accident lawyer, one thing you can do that may help is to ask around. You can ask anyone from your family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and more.

These should be people that you trust and people whose judgment you respect. It would only be human of you to ask who is closest to you what they would recommend in this situation.

Why is this? Because 92% of customers trust referrals from people that they know. So, if your aunt or a close friend needed a lawyer for a similar situation that they ended up happy with, they would likely tell you to use the same lawyer.

From there, you can compare notes and see if this attorney is the right one for you.

Read Online Reviews

Are you having trouble finding a family member or a friend with experience with this type of lawyer? If so, it may be time to turn to the internet.

The next best thing to having a family or friend recommend a lawyer to you is for you to read online reviews and testimonials. This is where a lawyer's reputation can come into play. This space is where all of their past clients can share the experience that they had with a lawyer.

Did they win the case? Were they happy with the settlement? Did they receive the legal counsel that they wanted?

These are all questions you can have answered by simply reading online reviews.

Something else that is important here is the rating system. Typically, you can rate a business anywhere from one to five stars. Five tends to be the maximum that lets other people know that this business is very reliable.

On top of this, you are going to want to check how many reviews a lawyer has. That is because the more reviews have been left, the more their rating means.

For example, let's say that two lawyers in your area have an average rating of nearly five stars. However, one lawyer only has 10 reviews while the other one has 10,000 reviews. In that situation, it is much more likely for the second lawyer to deliver a consistent result.

Look into this before making a final decision about who you want to hire.

Shop Around

Do not be afraid to explore your options when it comes to car accident attorneys. You may not like what you see after your first consultation, so it is important to keep an open mind.

Not only that but you also have to consider the bargaining power that you gain. If you are not afraid to walk out the door, a lawyer may be more likely to offer their services for a reasonable rate. At the very least, you would know that you are going to find the best deal available.

This is not just important for the rate but also for how you feel about the lawyer. You could have a gut feeling after the first consultation that a lawyer may not be the right fit for you. Or, you could end up feeling like you can't trust the lawyer that you are speaking to.

You do not have to commit to a lawyer right away. Explore all of the options you have available before making a final decision.

Ask About Experience

Of course, you should feel confident that your lawyer is qualified to handle your case. Something fair to ask is about the typical car accident settlement amounts they have given past clients.

Other things you can ask a car accident lawyer about are where they went to law school, what their success rate is, how many cases they have had that are similar to this, how many years they have specialized in car accident law, and more.

The point is that by the time you are finished asking your potential lawyer these questions, you should feel comfortable with their past experience if they are going to represent you.

Go With Your Gut

Finally, you need to listen to your gut when it comes to deciding what car accident law firm you are going to work with. This has to be someone that appears competent to represent you, someone that you can trust, and someone that can give you the best settlement available.

Part of this is also knowing that you can rely on them for legal counsel. For example, let's say that you were involved in a t-bone car accident. More details come out about this accident and the police report concludes that you were at fault in this accident.

In that situation, a good lawyer will tell you that you have no case and that you need to drop it before expenses start to add up.

You have to think about these scenarios because, at the end of the day, a lawyer is there to represent your best interests. You should be confident that they can deliver your best possible interests.

Hire a Car Accident Lawyer

These are some tips that you can use to find the best car accident lawyer for you. You should ask a lawyer about their experience, search them by location, get a quote from them, and not be afraid to shop around.

On top of this, you should ask those closest to you if they have any recommendations. If not, then search for lawyers near you and read their online reviews.

Do you need a car accident law firm? Fill out an inquiry form here to get started.

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