Finding a Personal Injury Lawyer

When you are injured due to the negligence of another party, you have the option of filing a personal injury claim. You’ll generally need the assistance of an attorney if you decide to go down this route. But, which attorney should you choose? Picking the right lawyer can make a huge difference to the amount of compensation you end up with, so it’s a very important process.

In this post, we share some tips and important questions to ask when looking for the right attorney to represent you.

Ask for Referrals

A great way to start your search for a personal injury attorney is by asking for referrals from family or close friends. According to industry research, this is how 59% of people begin looking for a lawyer.

Finding an attorney this way is advantageous because you can completely trust the source the information comes from. If someone close to you recommends an attorney, you can be confident they’re being entirely truthful with you.

However, it’s important to remember that the average person doesn’t know enough to give you all the information you need. Once you receive a recommendation or two, you need to do your own research.

Research, Research, Research

Thanks to the internet, you have all the information you need about potential attorneys at your fingertips. Using firm websites to cross-reference what you’ve learned from speaking to others is generally a good idea. If you’re unable to find referrals, there should be more than enough guidance online to begin your search there.

When doing this research, it’s important to have a critical approach. Don’t assume that a lawyer will provide a professional service just because they have a flashy website. Firms can easily invest in their online presence without devoting as much effort or as many resources to their client work.

You want a lawyer who will listen to your concerns, address your questions, spend adequate time building your case, and stick with the process when it gets tough rather than accepting a subpar settlement offer. 

What Sets the Best Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers Apart?

There are a number of key factors you need to keep in mind when selecting a legal representative. These include:

• Qualifications: A degree from a well-regarded law school doesn’t guarantee that a lawyer is highly competent, but it does often indicate that they’re serious about their work. You should also verify that your attorney has the proper Pennsylvania licensing, and that they’ve continued educating themselves and undertaking professional development during their career in practice.
• Track record: Many law firms share details of their big case wins on their website. If a given firm has a track record of delivering six- and seven-figure settlements and verdicts for clients, that’s generally a good sign.
• Client testimonials: Firms often ask past clients to share details of their experience for their testimonials page. It can be helpful to look at these, but it’s also important to bear in mind that firms don’t need to publish negative reviews. So, think of the testimonials page as a “highlight reel,” rather than a complete representation of a firm’s performance.
• Pricing structure: Many personal injury firms (including ours) offer free initial consultations. It’s also common for firms in this field to charge fees on a contingency basis, as we do. This means we don’t charge anything unless you win your case, and then we take a percentage of your settlement as our fee. Although this isn’t the most important consideration when weighing your options, it’s still something you should keep in mind.

Questions to Ask Personal Injury Lawyers

There are several important questions you should always ask a lawyer before agreeing to work with them. These questions include:

1. Have you handled cases like mine in the past? How many?
2. Can you provide an estimate of the likely costs associated with my case?
3. How many lawyers will be working on my case, and what will your own degree of personal involvement be?
4. How often can I expect updates on my case?
5. How long do you expect it will take to reach a resolution in my case?
6. How involved will I need to be in the case?
7. What are the next steps if I decide to hire you?

Start Working With the Cochran Firm in Philadelphia Today

If you’re searching for a personal injury firm in Philadelphia, keep us in mind. You can learn about how we’d approach your case by booking a free, no-obligation consultation. If you’d prefer to take your case elsewhere at that point, you can do so without needing to pay us anything.

Call us on 800-969-4400, or contact us by filling out our online form.