Pro tips to find the best car accident attorney
Table of Contents
If you’ve been injured in a car accident it’s imperative that you get a competent car accident attorney to ensure you get the compensation available to you.
Have you or a loved one been injured? Call to schedule a free, in-person, no-obligation strategy session with our Tulsa car accident lawyers.
Pro Tips To Find The Best Car Accident Attorney
Where To Look For A Great Accident Lawyer And What Questions To Ask
If you have recently sustained injuries from a car accident and you believe you have a solid case, or are wondering if you have a case, you need to know how to locate the best lawyer to assist you.
You might already know that this is a very important decision. Finding a great attorney from a shortlist of lawyers that specialize in car accidents might be the most vital decision of your entire case.
We are here to help you with this task.
When it comes to searching for an attorney, research is important to find the right professional that has proven experience when it comes to dealing with cases that involve personal injuries. We would like to share a few helpful tips to locate the ideal car accident lawyer so that you receive the compensation that you deserve from your injuries after a car accident.
Before you start searching for a car accident lawyer, you should be aware of what to look for.
Before you even start your searches, you should have an idea of the terms and qualities to look for in car accident lawyers. This can differ slightly when it comes to the type of case you have, the area that you live in, and even your personality.
Here is a list that you can use as a framework:
- Evaluate the entire team and not just people or partners that make-up the face of a law firm. It is also important to be aware that when you start interacting with law firms, that the person that you speak to over the phone, might not be the same person that you meet with.
- The age, experience, and size of the firm. Leadership roles and awards in organizations are also usually great indicators.
- Great judicial connections: Look for firms that participate in bar associations or contribute to certain campaigns.
- Feel comfortable about having to go to trial. Find out the percentage of the cases that they work on that have gone to trial, along with the success rates of the ones that do. Some attorneys have this type of information available on their sites.
- Have They Settled Or Tried Cases That Are Similar To Your’s In Your Country Or City? Do They Have Offices Close To You?
- Look for skills and experience linked to your specific type of case.
- Negotiation abilities. What settlement types have the firm obtained? (keep in mind that 95% of cases involving personal injuries are settled without having to go to trial). Again, certain car accident lawyers have this information available on their sites.
- How comfortable you feel with the attorney. This is usually a significant one.
- Timing: Do they seem too busy to take on your case? Have they given you an idea of the time-frame of your case?
- Past issues: Has the lawyer ever been disciplined or censured by ethics or legal committees? You need to find out about this before you contact them, to avoid wasting your time and money.
- Past client reviews: Find out what other people say about the law firm, especially on the independent and trustworthy review sites.
Where To Look For An Experienced Car Accident Attorney
Now that you have a better idea of the type of things you need to look for or keep in mind, it should be easier for you to start looking at different law firms and attorneys.
The first step is to put together a list of the top-rated car accident lawyers in your area so that you have potential candidates to choose from.
There are a number of ways you can go about finding names of skilled personal injury attorneys. As soon as you have compiled a list of numbers and names, contact each law firm and find out about their experience levels, and their case results.
Here is a list of some of the places you can start looking for car accident referrals:
- Ask family members or friends
- Ask work colleagues or people from your personal network. Find out from people that have used personal injury lawyers before, especially the ones that were involved in a car accident.
It is important not to choose a lawyer only based on the recommendation of someone else.
Every person has their own reaction when it comes to lawyers. You should rather contact the lawyer personally in order to talk about your case before making a decision.
- Ask other lawyers that you have already work with.
If you have a lawyer that you are friends with that works in real estate, for example, ask this professional if they can recommend a personal injury lawyer that can assist you. Many of the experienced attorneys usually know of other great lawyers in other practice areas.
It is common for attorneys to refer cases and business to other experienced lawyers in different practice areas, so this is one of the best ways to locate the best lawyer for your case.
- Legal referral services. It is important to understand that quality usually varies widely. Most local and state bar associations have legal referral services whereby the contact details of lawyers that are licensed in that state will be listed according to their specialty.
The overall quality of specific referral services often varies widely. Some services conduct extensive screening of lawyers, and will only list the attorneys that are the most successful and experienced.
While other types of referral services might list any lawyer that has a favorable standing in a particular state.
Before selecting a lawyer through one of these referral services, make sure you know what the qualifications happen to be for, which will include the personal injury lawyers on these lists.
Do you work well with their personality?
None of the legal referral services will give you information about the attitude or philosophy about the lawyer. Is the lawyer patient and willing to guide you through the process? Is he/she passive or aggressive? You need to decide for yourself whether the attorney’s temperament and personality feel right to you once you conduct an interview with the lawyer.
What Does A Car Accident Attorney Do?
Personal injury attorneys assist individuals that have experienced an injury caused by an accident to help them recover compensation (financial). This money is usually required to cover medical bills and treatment, replace lost wages, along with offering compensation for the pain and suffering that the person has gone through. In some cases, a case that appears to be simple, to begin with, can become a lot more complicated. For these cases, it is important to hire a personal injury attorney that is highly experienced.
How To Find The Best Car Accident Attorney
When you interview a personal injury lawyer talk about what has happened to you and find out whether they think you have a claim. You should also bring any relevant documentation with you, such as:
- A copy of medical bills and records, and the police report
- Proof of lost wages, which include your pay stubs and W-2s
- Correspondence you have had with insurance companies
Many of the lawyers will provide your initial consultation for free. If the lawyer has a fee attached for the initial meeting, it might be a good idea to look for another attorney.
Experience Level
Once you have spoken about your accident, here are a few important questions that you should be asking:
- How Long Have You Been In Practice?
- How Many Of Your Cases Involved Car Accident Personal Injuries?
- Do You Work With Car Accident Defendants More, Or Plaintiffs More?
You should be looking for a lawyer that has more experience when it comes to representing plaintiffs. A lawyer that works mainly with the defense may not be used to fighting for these types of claims.
- Are You Going To Handle My Case Personally?
It is totally fine if there are other lawyers working on the case. However, you want to avoid your case been handed over to an inexperienced attorney.
Talk About Settlement
Once you have told the lawyer about your car accident and about how you have dealt with any of the insurance companies. Now is the time to ask what the attorney thinks about the worth of your case. You should also ask how complex it may be to ensure the insurance provider pays out that amount.
From here you should also let the lawyer know what you are expecting. This could include:
- Settling on a low settlement amount with fewer costs, and the least wasted time
- Getting an amount that is higher than the offered amount from an insurance company, as quickly as possible
- Get the highest payout possible, regardless of how long it takes
It is important that your lawyer understands what you want. So if you need the cash desperately you may have to be willing to settle for a lower amount. Or you can wait it out, to hopefully receive a higher amount.
Once you have decided on a personal injury lawyer, there is still more work that you need to do. You have to settle on a fee agreement that is clearly understood. You also need to make sure your lawyer will keep you informed as the case progresses.
Call our Tulsa personal injury attorneys now!
Call to schedule a free, in-person, no-obligation strategy session now to determine how we can get you the maximum compensation allowed.
Tulsa Attorney Testimonials
How We Help You
Medical Treatment
We can help you find medical treatment and state of the art diagnostic testing to properly assess your injuries.
Negotiate
We will deal directly with insurance companies for you relieving your stress of trying to negotiate with them.
Investigate
We will investigate to obtain and preserve evidence needed to assure you get the compensation you deserve.
Litigate
Our proven success ensures that insurance companies will take you seriously during settlement negotiations.
Recover
Attorney Greg Denney has the experience and skill to ensure you recover the compensation you deserve.
We have extensive experience in criminal and civil trials including personal injury and civil litigation. Together our team brings 35 combined years of experience when we advocate for you.
Personal Injury Case Evaluation
At Greg Denney Law, we offer a free consultation during which we will examine the facts of your case and advise you on how best to proceed.
Clients come to the civil and criminal litigation firm of Greg Denney Law, PLLC in Tulsa, OK to help them overcome the legal challenges in their lives. We understand that our clients want a trial attorney who cares. Our Tulsa lawyers are not afraid to stand up to big insurance companies – knowing their tactics and strategies allows us to build a strong case on your behalf. We do not tolerate anyone treating you badly. You will incur no attorney fees, court cost, or legal expenses unless you recover. Time to file is limited by Oklahoma law, so call today to protect your right to the compensation you deserve. Call (918) 295-0077.
Contact Us
To schedule a call use the form below and let us know when would be the best time to call. If you have any questions let us know!
Address
Greg Denney Law, PLLC
Tulsa Car Accident Attorney
No Fees unless you recover
24/7 Consultation