How to Pick a Personal Injury Lawyer
It’s not something you do everyday, so no matter who you choose your Lerners team wants to make sure you have all the information you need to pick the best lawyer for you. We’re here to help, no matter what.
Where to Begin?
It’s hard to even know where to begin when searching for a personal injury lawyer. There are a lot of options out there, just like picking a doctor, but that doesn’t mean all those options are good ones.
We recommend starting with your friends and family, or even a lawyer you know that might not practice personal injury law, but might have a
recommendation to get you started. Bottom line, don’t just talk to one lawyer, make a list and talk to a few before making your decision. You want someone you can trust and someone that specializes in personal injury.
Check Their Credentials and Do Your Research
Just like you wouldn’t hire a dermatologist to perform heart surgery, lawyers are specialists as well. You want to make sure your personal injury lawyer is exactly that, a lawyer who specializes in and has a performance track record settling and trying personal injury cases.
The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) is a good place to start. It is a professional organization that’s membership is exclusively restricted to plaintiff personal injury lawyers. If your lawyer, or the one you’re considering is a member of OTLA you know they are the right kind of lawyer for your situation. If they are not, you may want to ask them why.
How do you know which Personal Injury Lawyer is a Good One?
The lawyer you choose is about choosing a relationship that you’re going to have for years, not months. Your case will require their attention to both your lawsuit and your recovery. Most importantly you want a lawyer that is competent and capable, but you also want a lawyer that you feel
comfortable talking to on a regular basis.
Your lawyer should listen to you, respond to your needs and be able to answer any questions you might have in a straightforward manner. You also don’t want a lawyer that doesn’t have a track record of taking cases to trial when it matters. Too often personal injury lawyers who aren’t willing to commit to the long term will try to settle quickly, preventing you from getting the compensation you need for your recovery.
What to Look for In Your Personal Injury Lawyer
When interviewing your potential personal injury lawyers you’re going to want to consider a variety of factors and ask a number of important questions. First and foremost, is this lawyer and their team responsive to you during this process? Are you questions being answered in a timely manner and are you getting the attention and focus you feel you need?
We tell all of our clients, above all else, to trust their gut. Your instincts are there for a reason and you should trust how each lawyer makes you feel. However, there are some important questions to ask and Maia and Andrew have a few suggestions on where you can start.
Trial Experience is Critical
If you’ve been injured in an accident or suffered a traumatic injury one of the most important types of experience your lawyer needs to have is trial experience. While many personal injury cases can be settled without a trial and still deliver the kind of settlement you deserve, if your opponents don’t know your lawyer is willing to go trial and can stand up in court on your behalf and argue your case then your settlement is likely to be smaller than it should be.
Listen to Andrea and Maia talk about why trial experience is so important for your lawyer to have if you expect to get the best possible outcome form your lawsuit.
What's Really The Most Important Thing?
We know you want us to boil it down for you, so what’s the most important thing to consider when you’re choosing a personal injury lawyer. Your level of confidence in that individual. It’s that simple. Trust yourself and trust your instincts. If you come away from your meeting with your perspective lawyer feeling worried or uncertain, they’re probably not right for you.
You want a lawyer that gives you the maximum level of comfort and confidence as you navigate this very difficult time in your life. You need someone who is willing to listen and understand, not just your case, but who you are as a person and how this event has changed your life.