Car accidents can cause physical injury, mental anguish, property damage, and financial distress. These are all challenging, but luckily, you don’t have to go through it alone. An experienced Alabama injury attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Having a lawyer on your side will make the post-accident phase much easier. But people often wonder, “How can I choose the best car accident lawyer for my case?” This article provides a list of seven things to look for when choosing a lawyer to handle your Alabama car accident.
Tip #1 – Look for a Lawyer that Meets Your Needs
Think about what you’d like to see in a lawyer. Even if you’ve never hired an attorney before, you’ve probably worked with doctors, accountants, and other professionals. Think about what you liked about these people and what you liked about working with them. Make a list of these attributes (e.g., friendly, prompt, etc.) and look for a lawyer with the same qualities.
Tip #2 – Look at the Lawyer’s Experience
Lawyers have a wide range of experience. A lawyer who’s just beginning to represent personal injury clients might not be the best choice. Look for someone with an established record of getting solid results for people injured in motor vehicle accidents.
Additionally, even if you find a lawyer with personal injury experience, make sure they have experience handling your particular type of case. For instance, a lawyer who typically handles car accident cases might not know about the ins and outs of trucking cases. Make sure that your attorney has experience dealing with cases like yours.
Tip #3 – Look at The Law Firm’s Resources
Lawyers need resources to win cases. These resources can be people like paralegals and expert witnesses or even intangible things like time. When you’re thinking about hiring a law firm, ask them how many resources they can commit to your case. If you feel uncomfortable with the answer, feel free to keep looking.
Tip #4 – Look at The Lawyer’s Reviews
It’s difficult to know what to expect from a lawyer, but reading reviews from prior clients can give you an idea of how the lawyer and the firm operate. You can find reviews with a quick web search. Pay attention to low ratings. But even with highly rated firms, look at what previous clients have said about the lawyer’s communication style, fee structures, and timeliness. Every business has a few bad reviews, but seeing multiple clients raise the same concerns – especially over a long period of time – should be seen as a red flag.
Tip #5 – Look at the Lawyer’s Reputation
Reputation is tricky to evaluate because behavior that’s a dealbreaker for one person might not bother the next person. However, lawyers must follow certain ethical rules. Lawyers who break these rules can be penalized.. Look up your potential lawyer on the Alabama Bar’s website to see if they have a history of unethical behavior.
Tip #6 – Look at the Lawyer’s Communication Style
During your first meeting with the attorney, pay attention to their communication style. Do they talk down to you? Do they use a lot of legal jargon that’s hard to understand? Are they clear about their costs and fees or do they seem to be hiding something? How do they talk to their staff? Pay attention to these and other actions that give you insight into how the lawyer treats other people.
Tip #7 – Consider Your Feelings
An attorney-client relationship is a special one. You’ll have to share lots of personal, private information with your attorney. Even though the lawyer can’t reveal this information to anyone, it’s harder to share sensitive information with someone if you don’t trust them. After meeting with an attorney, ask yourself how you feel about the meeting. Did the lawyer try to put you at ease? Did you feel comfortable talking to them? A “yes” answer is a good sign that you and the lawyer can create a solid working relationship. A “no,” on the other hand, means that you should keep talking to attorneys until you find one that earns your trust.
Do You Have More Questions About Choosing a Lawyer After An Alabama Car Accident?
Choosing the right Alabama injury lawyer can be difficult. Hopefully, the tips shared in this article will make the task a little easier. If you have more questions about choosing a lawyer, handling medical bills after an accident, or anything else related to a motor vehicle crash, contact Collins Law, LLC. Our firm has ten years of experience representing clients in a variety of cases, including trucking accidents. We’ll treat you with care and concern as we work to get you the compensation you deserve. To learn more about how Collins Law can help you, schedule a free, no-obligation consultation by calling 205-588-1411 or using our website’s online scheduling tool.