Several questions arise when a family member or loved one is injured by a catastrophe and these questions are always accompanied with emotions of frustration, anger, or guilt. It is very difficult to address all the immediate needs with this built up emotion, so it is necessary to find an attorney to help in the process. Often times, one doesn’t know where to begin to find the proper attorney and one they can trust.
What are some of the first things you need to consider when selecting an attorney? First, you must understand that not just any attorney will do. Just as doctors have a very specific specialty; pediatrics, family, etc; an attorney also specializes in a certain kind of law. There are real estate attorneys, intellectual property attorneys, and so on. You will be looking for a Personal Injury Attorney. Often, personal injury attorneys will also have the specialty of catastrophic injury. Something else to consider is how close the attorney office is to your home. Keep in mind that you will be making frequent trips to his/her office for the durations of the indemnity process.
Another equally important decision, but not the first decision, is the cost of an attorney. This is where you need to do your research. Most attorney here will work on a contingency basis meaning that the client only pays if there is recovery, whether by settling or a trial. Fees are typically 33% or more and vary substantially. There reason the fees are so high is due to expenses of experts, specialists, and investigators that the attorney must regular consult with. Ask to speak with the attorney beforehand as most will offer a free consultation to begin.
Now that you’ve created your list of attorneys to choose from, which will you go with? This can be a difficult decision because each attorney collected plenty of information from you concerning the case that it seems any will do fine.
However, you need to make sure that you collect as much info as you can from the attorney as well. That way, you can decide with one you feel most comfortable with.
