6 Tips for a Successful Personal Injury Lawsuit

6 tips to help you hire the best personal injury lawyer for your case

Choosing a personal injury attorney is a personal decision that should not be handled lightly. Most lawyers have at least 19 years of education and have passed a very difficult licensing exam in order to practice.

A qualified P.I. lawyer can help you determine what needs to be done to help maximize your compensation. At each stage, they can help you build your case and communicate with the other side to pursue a fair settlement.

How do you know you've found the right attorney to take on your case? Where do you even begin your search? We spoke with personal injury attorneys in our directory to find out their recommendations for hiring the best lawyer.

Hiring the right person to handle your legal case is a big task. Whether you have been injured in a motorcycle accident or have suffered a slip and fall, you want to ensure that the lawyer is the best for the job.

What To Do When You Have An Accident

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take after a personal injury to prepare you for filing a claim or a lawsuit.  Here’s a list of the top ten tips for personal injury claims:

1) Seek out medical attention immediately

If you have been seriously injured, the first thing you should do is to get medical attention.  Do not attempt to handle any claims before you have properly addressed your injuries with a medical professional.

You should be aware that failing to seek medical attention after an accident can sometimes reduce the amount of damages you are able to recover.  As the injured party, you may have a duty to “mitigate your losses.” This means that you must take steps to ensure that the injury does not cause any further injuries or economic losses.

2) File a Police Report

Filing a police report can help ensure that you have records of important information.  This may include the names and contact information of other parties that were involved.  Also, the report itself can serve as a record of the important facts involved in the accident.  The police report can be used in court if a lawsuit arises.

3) Be aware of what you say at the scene of the accident

While it is necessary to communicate with the other party after an accident, exercise discretion when speaking with other parties.  You are under no duty to state whose fault the injury was or to offer additional information.  Avoid making statements that might make the situation more complicated, and avoid creating conflicts in relation to the event.

How to Find the Best Injury Lawyer

4) Ask friends and family to refer their injury lawyer

Word of mouth is not going away. The preferred way to find a good personal injury lawyer is to ask friends and family for a referral to an attorney who represented them in the past.

Read reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp and independent review sites like Sacramento Top 10.

5) Make sure to discuss fees before signing

Ask about fees upfront. Transparency is crucial in any significant financial transaction, and that includes your lawyer. Always get any fee agreement in writing."

 Personal injury attorneys normally work on contingency, receiving approximately a third of the eventual settlement or judgment, plus office expenses. Regardless, clarify what the lawyer means when he or she says "no fee if no recovery." Make sure you understand the attorney's fees from the start.

6) Stay off Socials

Most people are familiar with the phrase that states that everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. Unfortunately, not all people realize that this phrase also applies to what you say on social media.

  If you’re claiming devastating injuries, but your Facebook page tells a different story, it can ruin your case. The other side is watching, and your best bet is to keep quiet and let your attorney do the talking. It’s also a good rule of thumb not to talk about any aspect of your injury case with anyone, or anywhere until a settlement is reached.

List Created by Sacramento Top 10

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