Finding a good personal injury lawyer can be tricky. It is crucial that this attorney be a perfect fit for you, as they will be the one to support you and help maximize your compensation. As you look, it can be easy to get deceived by marketing ads and campaigns. To help you look, find, and set up a relationship with the right personal injury lawyer, the attorneys at Trent Law have gathered some tried-and-true tips.
First, make sure the attorney is a specialized personal injury attorney. These lawyers have more experience and familiarity with personal injury law, which is designed to help and protect those injured or harmed because of the negligence of another person or business. It is in your best interest to obtain the best legal advice to evaluate your case.
Second, it is important that the attorney is a licensed attorney in your state. If possible, it es even more helpful if this person is near your city or your hometown. This proximity makes it easier to plan for meetings.
Third, make sure your personal injury attorney also has experience in different types of cases, including cases like yours. Experienced attorneys have been through different scenarios and learned different strategies throughout their careers. They will also have a background in negotiating with insurance companies or healthcare providers. An attorney will recognize the economic and non-economic damages that apply to your case.
The main types of cases a personal injury attorney takes on include motor vehicle accidents, slips, and falls, medical malpractice, unsafe premises, and product liability. There are other tasks these attorneys will do for you, such as helping collect evidence, preparing for pleadings and depositions, and ultimately representing you at trial.
Fourth, have different options. Sometimes attorneys require certain criteria be met in order to work on cases. They generally work on cases that can prove there was negligence through evidence. Negligence is defined as when one person or entity lacks or acts without care, and another person ends up being damaged because of that action. The law of negligence requires the person to compensate the injured as a result. Make sure to choose between attorneys whose evidential criteria you meet.
To present an effective personal injury case, three elements must be present:
- Duty of Care: The defendant must owe a duty of care to the person who sustained the injury. The “duty of care” is the responsibility to act in accordance with certain standards that would not harm others.
- Breach of Duty: Defendant must participate in some negligent act that results in that duty being breached. For example, every driver on the road owes a duty to every other driver to follow traffic regulations and drive safely. Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated is a negligent act that breaches the person’s duty of care to other drivers.
- Causation: The negligent act of Defendant must cause an injury to the Plaintiff. For example, an intoxicated driver causing an accident that injures the other driver is a negligent act that caused an injury.
- Damages: Individuals injured due to the negligence of others must be able to demonstrate economic or non-economic damages. Damages can be quantified through medical bills, funeral costs, loss of income, and more.
Negligence gets proven through physical and non-physical evidence. Physical evidence is evidence that a jury can physically see and understand. It can be very impactful, as it allows the jury to see the literal physical damages. Non-physical evidence, on the other hand, is factual information or testimony presented to the jury. Its main objective is to serve as a means for the jury to draw conclusions from the evidence presented. Non-physical evidence becomes very important in a case where physical evidence is limited or nonexistent.
Fifth, call the lawyer’s office to set up a meeting. Walking the attorney through your case will help them evaluate possible resolutions and decide whether you would be a good match.
Last, make sure they have contingency fees. A contingency fee is a form of payment to a lawyer for their legal services. However, through the contingency fee agreement, the lawyer only receives this payment if they have won the case. This type of payment is very common in personal injury cases, where the attorney is awarded a percentage of the total compensation received in the case.
Contingency can be very helpful when you might not have the resources to pay for a lawyer. Whereas fixed fees can be highly costly, with a contingency fee you do not have to pay a direct fee to a lawyer. They are paid by the agreement instead. Consequently, contingency fees incentivize attorneys to work hard on the case, as a case won looks good on their record and earns them more money.
Are you in Chicago?
If you live in Chicago and have been involved in a personal injury case, reach out to us at Trent Law. It’s important to learn about the strict deadlines for making personal injury claims – particularly Illinois’s “statute of limitations,” which bars personal injury claims from being submitted two or more years following the accident.
Contact our offices today to discuss your case and learn how our experienced personal injury attorneys may be able to help. You can call (866) 599-8601 for a confidential consultation.
