Choosing Your Personal Injury Lawyer: Four Things You Need to Know

If you are hurt and someone else is at fault, you need a personal injury lawyer to represent you. There are many accident and injury law firms our there, so how do you choose?  Here are four tips to help you pick the best personal injury attorney for your claim:

#1 tip:  Choose a trial attorney. The truth is that many lawyers have little or no experience in front of juries. Most injury claims settle without going to trial, but it is the fear of going to trial against an experienced plaintiff lawyer that motivates insurance companies to make large settlements. Personal Injury attorneys who settle all of their cases develop a reputation for avoiding trial — Insurance companies know this and will be unlikely to offer top dollar for your personal injury claim.

#2 tip:  Find a lawyer who tries at least one civil jury trial a year. This does not sound like very much, but it actually is. Jury trials, when done correctly, are very complicated matters and can take months or even years to try successfully. I have tried approximately over 65 jury trials in my 23 year career , so I know how to prepare for a jury trial. It means getting trial notebooks and exhibits, and lining up witnesses and experts to testify on behalf of the client.  A trial attorney with little experience can easily be unprepared for trial.

#2 tip:  Watch out for bait and switch law firms. There are numerous lawyers who advertise that they specialize in personal injury law. However, the truth of the matter is that many of these firms are simply advertising firms that take in cases and then refer them out to a true trial lawyer.

#3 tip:  Find out which lawyer in a firm is really going to litigate your claim. If you choose a large personal injury law firm, there is a very good chance that your claim will not be handled by the name lawyers in the firm. Big firms often hire attorneys right out of law school to actually do the work. This is a great way for new lawyers to learn the ropes, but might not be so advantageous for your claim. How much experience does your designated attorney actually have? It’s important to ask.

If you contact my law firm for a personal injury claim in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas or Georgia, you can be assured that you are getting an experienced trial attorney who will handle your claim personally. Please contact the Thomas V. Alonzo Law Firm for a free consultation.