No one ever plans to hire an accident attorney. Heck, no one ever anticipates getting badly injured in the first place. But when the worst happens and you need a personal injury lawyer STAT, you’ll need to act fairly quickly in order to secure the professional legal assistance you need. Failure to do so could mean the difference between shouldering the monetary burden of your injuries and being well cared for throughout the duration of your hospital stay, therapy and beyond.
However, don’t sacrifice quality for speed in these instances. You should still take your time in locating the best accident attorney in Los Angeles possible. Here are some tips to guide you through:
Download this Blog: Be able to read this blog wherever you are. Click here to download it for free right now!
Check with Family and Friends
Lawyers are a dime a dozen in the LA area. That doesn’t mean they’re all qualified, experienced, or even have your best interests at heart. You need to pinpoint the ones that can fuel your case and bring it to fruition, getting you the best settlement possible. Going online to check reviews on lawyers can give you general guidance, but the best recommendations are personal, and they come from your family and friends. Ask around. See who has had to hire an accident attorney in the past. You’ll be surprised by the many stories you’ll hear from people you know and trust. From car and motorcycle accidents to dog bites and falls, injuries can and do happen to those around us. Find out who they used, whether they would use them again, how comfortable they felt, and whether they got the outcome they desired.
Set up a Checklist
Before randomly calling accident attorneys in Los Angeles, come up with a checklist of sorts for qualities in a lawyer that are important to you. Look for the following:
- Many years of experience in your community
- Level of skill and proficiency
- Passionate, dependable, solid work ethic
- Accessibility and responsiveness to clients
- Professionalism
- Attentiveness to all questions and answers
- 24/7 availability
- Reasonable rates (don’t always go for the cheapest – this often shows up in their ability and service level!)
Look Out for Red Flags
Trust your gut when briefing possible accident attorneys to hire. You want one that’s on-point and realistic, and who will get back to you within a reasonable time frame. Anything that doesn’t sit well with you, such as so-so reviews, failure to call you back quickly, dirt cheap rates, and promises of unrealistic guarantees, should give you pause. There are plenty of fraudulent lawyers out there who won’t hesitate to take your money and use it for anything but your case. They may fail to pay court bills, fail to return client calls, offer unrealistic guarantees for compensation, appear over-confident and over-aggressive, and disappear when it’s time for court proceedings. Sometimes your gut feelings are correct upon first talking with or meeting an attorney. Are they personable? Do they make you feel at ease? Sometimes all the experience in the world doesn’t mean much if you are put off by their approach.
History and Experience
Doing your homework on accident attorneys is imperative. Part of that research involves looking into their track record, education and experience. Look for a proven history of high verdicts and settlements. Especially if you have a big case punctuated by serious injuries, you want to know your attorney will deliver a large verdict or settlement in your favor to help you pay future bills. As such, you should ask the attorneys how many six-and-seven-figure verdicts or settlements they have had.
Look for an attorney who has the tenacity and aggression needed to properly see your personal injury case through to the end. Often times, cases don’t get past the settlement stage, which is great, but you want someone who is prepared and well-versed to take the fight to a courtroom if need be. Sadly, many attorneys have never seen the inside of a courtroom. You want a professional that will go toe to toe with insurance companies, who are notoriously aggressive, and won’t back down.
Contact Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accidents Lawyers
We invite you to do your research on us here at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accidents Lawyers. Browse our website or call for a free consultation at 661-945-6969. You’ll see why we’re the leading accident attorneys in Los Angeles and beyond, consistently trying or settling hundreds of cases ranging from small ones involving minimum liability limits to multi-million dollar settlements in auto, motorcycle, pedestrian and other accident cases.
