If you're the victim of a recent personal injury, you have the right to seek compensation for your losses. While you can pursue your case alone, the vast majority choose to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer to represent them, but is this really necessary, and how do you know when it's time to hire a personal injury lawyer?
There is nothing legally obligating you to hire a lawyer to represent you during your personal injury case, however, this decision is not something that you should take lightly.
Why You Should Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injuries can be incredibly traumatic experiences that leave you with painful and long-lasting injuries and can change the course of your life in an instant. Pennsylvania state law entitles you to fair compensation for your losses, but without a professional legal expert on your side, that compensation can be nearly impossible to get your hands on.
Whether it’s navigating the complex legal system, dealing with stingy insurance companies, or simply filling the proper paperwork, personal injury cases are complicated and require specific knowledge and expertise that most victims simply don’t have.
It’s always in the at-fault party’s best interest to pay out as little as possible, but considering that personal injuries can come along with extreme financial consequences and stress, you simply can’t afford to get less compensation than what you are owed.
By hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer, you can take all that stress off of yourself while also ensuring that you get the maximum payout possible for your personal injury case.
How to Choose a Personal Injury Attorney
Now that you know just how important it is to hire a personal injury attorney to represent you during your case, it’s essential that you know how to choose a personal injury attorney.
Not all personal injury lawyers are created equal, and if you want to ensure that you find the right lawyer for you, here is everything you should consider.
Experience, Reputation, and Track Record
Personal injury cases come in all different shapes and sizes, and not every law firm specializes in every type of personal injury. Because of this, it’s essential that you base your search on the specific type of personal injury that you’re dealing with so that you can find an experienced legal professional who has the specific expertise needed to win your particular personal injury case.
For example, if your personal injury case has to do with medical malpractice, you should look for lawyers who have proven experience winning medical malpractice cases and not ones that only specialize in car accidents or slip and falls.
Experience usually goes hand in hand with reputation, so you should also seek out reviews or referrals from family and friends before you commit to a particular lawyer. If you can’t find anyone to vouch for their services, and they don’t have the online reviews to back their work up, chances are you’re much better off choosing someone else.
Ease of Communication
Clear and open communication is crucial to the success of any personal injury case, so you’ll want to make sure that the lawyer you choose is up to the task. You should feel free to contact your lawyer at any time and be comfortable with talking honestly with your lawyer about your case.
If you suspect that this may be a problem, then you should undoubtedly seek out a personal injury attorney who makes clear and open lines of communication a higher priority.
Compensation Goals
Another crucial thing to consider when choosing a personal injury attorney is your compensation goals. While some lawyers may want to get you your settlement as quickly as possible, others may be more willing to drag things out in order to get you the maximum settlement, and if your goals don't align with your lawyer's, you may be in for disappointment.
Always be sure to discuss your compensation goals with your new potential lawyer ahead of time to ensure that your goals align and that they truly have your best interest in mind.
Fees and Payments
Most personal injury lawyers operate using a contingency fee system where they take a flat percentage of the compensation that you receive if they are able to win your case. This is pretty standard, but if you are looking for something different, some lawyers may be open to working at an hourly rate. Regardless of what you prefer, ensuring that you are familiar and comfortable with your lawyer's payment structure beforehand is essential.
Contact HoeyLegal Today
Are you the victim of a recent personal injury? Are you looking for a Chester County, PA personal injury lawyer that you can trust with your case? Give HoeyLegal a call.
Here at HoeyLegal, we're proud to be the leading personal injury law firm in Chester County. We specialize in getting our clients the compensation they deserve after suffering from an accident. We have extensive experience working on a wide variety of personal injury cases, including auto accidents, slips and falls, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and many more.
Our team understands just how difficult and traumatic dealing with a personal injury can be, but you can always count on us to be the trustworthy advocate you need to fight for you while you recover from your injuries. We’ve won tens of millions of dollars for our clients, and we won’t stop until you get the fair and just settlement that you deserve. All you need to do is call, and we’ll help you schedule a free consultation that helps you get the ball rolling on your personal injury case.
Don’t let yourself take on your personal injury case alone. Call HoeyLegal and get the expert legal representation you need to win your personal injury case today!