Choosing the right personal injury attorney, and firm to help you after you have been injured in an accident can seem like a daunting task. With a little background information, however, it doesn’t have to be. When choosing the right attorney to suit your needs, the attorney’s experience and willingness to provide you with personalized attention should be the key parts of your decision process. Most often, experience and personal attention are linked to the size of the law firm that the personal injury attorney is part of. Attorneys, and law firms, handling personal injury matters typically fall into one of the following size categories: solo, small or medium/large. When choosing the right size firm for you, it is helpful keep the following in mind:
Should I choose a solo attorney?
You may know a solo attorney from a matter he or she personally handled for you. It could have been regarding a will, a traffic ticket or a real estate closing. If you were happy with this attorney, and satisfied with the result, then it is likely you would turn to them to represent you with your personal injury matter. However, a potential risk associated with this choice is that this attorney may not focus their practice on personal injury matters. As a result, he or she lacks the crucial experience necessary to most effectively represent you. The days of the “general practitioner” handling all your legal needs is hopefully becoming a thing if the past. Today, the best, and most successful attorneys, focus their practices on a very limited number of practice areas. Therefore, before choosing the “solo” attorney to represent you, confirm that plaintiff’s personal injury claims are a sizable portion of their practice. In addition, you should confirm that they have adequate support staff to effectively handle your claim and keep you up to date as to the status of your case.
Should I choose a medium/large sized law firm?
Should I choose the larger firm that has the catchy jingle on their tv ad? TV and radio advertising is a trendy way for personal injury attorneys to get clients. Unfortunately, you, as a client, may not see the same results that are set forth in the ads. Typically, the ads contain the firm’s largest settlements, not necessarily the average ones. Furthermore, although the firm may have the legal experience overall, it is more likely you will personally be dealing with a less experienced associate, and not the named partner from the tv ads. In addition, in a larger firm, you will not receive the personalized attention that a smaller firm can offer, as you can often become lost in the crowd.
Should I choose a small sized law firm?
The small sized law firm most often has the potential for offering you the best combination of experienced attorneys and personalized attention. When working with a small law firm, you will likely be assigned one attorney on a “vertical” representation basis. This means that the attorney who you meet with initially will continue to represent you at all significant stages of your case, including trial. Also, if the firm is properly staffed, you will be assigned a paralegal who will work with you on the administrative aspects of your claim. There are many parts of a personal injury claim that can and should be handled by support staff. This type of structure, provides the most direct and personal relationship between the injured person and the staff. All parts of your claim are overseen by the responsible attorney, and you know clearly who you are to deal contact if any issue arises.
In sum, the small firm personal injury attorneys are most likely to give you the best level of service, most direct client service and hopefully the highest award possible.