Choosing an accident lawyer is one thing. But finding a competent, qualified lawyer who will best represent your interests in negotiations or in a court of law is another. If you are in need of a good accident lawyer, and you already have a list of accident lawyers at hand, how would you then select the best, or at the least, the good one? Using the following tips on finding an accident lawyer can help you make the best choice.
The first step in selecting a good accident lawyer is to look into their information. Some information to consider would be their law firm, education, and areas of practice. Once you have seen the law firms where they belong, browse the internet and check the law firm's profile. This is an initial indicator of the lawyer's competency in the field.
It's hard to find an accident lawyer that represents both sides of the same coin. Accident lawyers usually do not defend a party in accident lawsuits. The claimant parties are usually who an accident lawyer will represent. Know if the lawyers represent both. The law firm's website will usually have this kind of information. You should call the firm if the information is not online.
You should check to see if the lawyer is a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) or a similar local lawyer's associations. If the lawyer is a part of a group like the American Association for Justice (AAJ), it is likely that he is up-to-date on other judicial memberships as well.
Asking other lawyers in different fields may help you in finding a good auto accident lawyer. You can be sure that lawyer knows more about accident attorneys than just a name. Your lawyer-friend could provide you with the name of a competent attorney that he is familiar with, or that has a good reputation.
By now you've probably gathered a list of local lawyers. If possible, ask around town about the lawyers on your list to try to get an idea of their reputation and performance. Hear both the good and the not-so-good sides of their stories. Eliminating lawyers that received bad reviews is your next step.
However, it is highly possible that nobody in the community knows the attorney. In such an event, you should ask the lawyer's client representative about the lawyer's overall performance. For this step, asking the lawyer himself for the contact information of a client of their. However, some lawyers ight not agree to this, citing privacy and sanctity of the relationship between client and lawyer.
Check if the lawyer is in good legal standing. One way to do this would be to request information about the lawyer from your local Bar Association. Checking to see if that lawyer has pending cases against him like disbarment or has been disciplined for misconduct is a good idea. Checking the local newspaper to see if the lawyer has been involved in any high profile cases is another good idea.
Making sure your lawyer is competent in his or her field and is capable of protecting the interests of your party in court is the best way to find the desirable auto accident lawyer. This allows for the largest change of not only winning the case, but receiving the largest possible compensation.
