Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

The decision to hire one should not be made lightly, so you must do your research before choosing an attorney. There are many mistakes that people make when hiring a personal injury lawyer - some of which could cost you dearly.

This blog post will explore these mistakes and how to avoid them so that you can find the right lawyer for your needs.

Picture 1 of Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Don't Hire the First Lawyer You Find

You might be feeling desperate to find someone who will take your case, but that's no reason for settling on the first lawyer you find. Take some time to do thorough research and get as many referrals as possible before making a decision. Booking an appointment with a lawyer that you're interested in is a good idea, but don't just hire them on the spot.

Instead, book consultations with at least three lawyers to find the right fit. 

Don't Hire a Lawyer Who Doesn't Have Experience in the Field

Picture 2 of Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Law is complicated and there are many nuances to how it works, so be sure to find someone with plenty of relevant expertise. You can do this by asking questions about their experience: like whether they've handled cases like yours. As the attorneys at Kerley Schaffer explain, it's best to find a firm that has a track record of actually trying cases and appealing to important issues in the appellate courts. Finding out this and other things like their success rate for similar cases might sound basic, but only then will you know if they know what they're doing. 

Don't Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer Just Because They Are Cheaper Than Other Lawyers

It is tempting to hire the cheapest personal injury lawyer you can find, but this could end up costing you more in the long run. You might be tempted because hiring a reputable law firm will cost thousands of dollars upfront, and an inexperienced attorney may charge less for their services. However, if they don't win your case or commit blunders like filing your court documents incorrectly, then it could derail everything and cause major headaches down the road. 

Don't Wait Too Long to Hire a Lawyer

A mistake to avoid is waiting too long before hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer. You have only two years from the date of your injury to file suit with the court, and you will lose your right to claim damages if you allow this time limit to expire. If you wait until after the statute of limitations has expired, then it's possible that nothing can be done for you even if there was clear wrongdoing on behalf of someone else. It might not matter who caused the accident or what became of them later. 

Don't Hire a Lawyer Who Charges By the Hour

This is the most common mistake people make. The problem with hiring a lawyer on an hourly rate basis, as opposed to one who charges by the case or retainer agreement, is that it incentivizes them to drag out your claim and spend time working for you rather than getting results for you. An attorney can also charge more per hour if they're doing less work because there's no pressure of completing anything efficiently - which means that billing rates will be higher too! If this isn't something you want from your lawyer, then get someone else instead.

The decision to choose between paying by the hour versus agreeing on a flat fee upfront should depend both on what kind of relationship you would like with your attorney and how much money you have to spend. If you are looking for someone who will be more of a friend and counselor than an adversary, then it's probably worth getting on retainer or paying hourly rates.

Picture 3 of Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Hiring the right lawyer is a difficult decision. It's important to do your research before you settle on one and make sure they have experience with cases like yours, are qualified for what you need, and will provide excellent service at an affordable price. Don't be swayed by low rates or promises of being able to work out payment plans down the road - it may end up costing more in the long run than if you hire someone who charges by retainer or flat fees upfront. 

You should also remember that hiring a personal injury attorney because they're cheaper doesn't necessarily mean their expertise matches your needs better than another firm might offer. With so much riding on this decision, don't wait too long to find a quality law firm.

Marvin Fry

Update 22 May 2021