When you have been injured, the last thing you want to think about is the process of fighting an insurance company for a fair settlement and choosing a solicitor to help you with your claim. You want to make sure you are making a sound decision when you hire a solicitor. Use this as your guide to choose a personal injury claims solicitor that will work for you.
Your solicitor should be experienced
If you are considering hiring a solicitor, they should have experience and familiarity with injury law. You want to have peace of mind in knowing that your solicitor knows the insides and outs of injury law and how it applies to your injury and case specifically. There are time sensitive statutes of limitations on many injury claims, and your lawyer should be aware of them.
Check them out online
If your injury is making it hard to get around and interview solicitors, you can definitely narrow the field by going online. You can do preliminary checks and find reviews of a solicitor’s performance and success rates with past clients. You may even be able to verify their educational background online or by making a phone call. This is a smart thing to do because a little bit of investigating online can save a lot of time meeting with potential solicitors in person.
Interview multiple solicitors
After you have made the effort of researching prospects online, you should interview several solicitors in person. You need to feel comfortable with your choice, but you also need to set yourself a realistic time limit for hiring someone. You should aim to interview 3-5 solicitors before making a decision.
Look for connections with the medical field
Before hiring a solicitor you should ask about their connections to the medical field. Do they have access to a network of reliable doctors, whose medical opinions will hold up in court? You need this on your side in a personal injury case. If your solicitor has these medical professionals at their fingertips, it might be worth it to hire them for their access to this expertise.
Do they understand medical tests and terminology?
It’s extremely important that personal injury solicitors are well versed in medical terminology. They should also fully comprehend what medical tests are being performed on you. This is a valuable asset because the more familiar a solicitor is with medical procedures, the better they will be able to interpret medical results from doctors and physical therapists. They will also be able to more competently present your case in an informed manner in court or make negotiations with insurance companies.
Ask about their fee structure
If you are injured, you may not be able to work for an extended amount of time. This can obviously have an impact on your ability to pay solicitors fees. If this is your situation, it might be in your best interest to seek a solicitor that does not require payment until you receive money from a settlement. This means that if they’re not successful and you lose your case, the solicitor does not receive their contingency fee for representing you. This can help with any financial worries you may have for paying a firm up front.
Be attuned for a sensitive, human demeanor
Being injured can be a stressful time. You may be dealing with physical pain, invasive doctor’s visits, and financial stress. Your solicitor should be acutely aware of how his or her clients are feeling during this time, and should make the process as smooth as possible for you. He or she should also come across as caring and understanding of your situation. If your solicitor lacks a sensitive demeanor, it can seriously hamper the relationship. If you get the feeling that you won’t be able to build a rapport with your solicitor in the first consultation, you shouldn’t hire them. Solicitors need a “bedside manner” too.
Hiring a competent, successful attorney is crucial to getting the best settlement possible for your personal injury claim. Make sure that you check them out online, first; look for experience and wins for past clients. It’s important that you interview in person, too, and when you do make sure to assess for connections and understanding of the medical field, and ask about a no-win-no-fee policy. This will ensure that you hire a great personal injury solicitor.
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