Accidents are unintentional and they happen often. Over 24 million people visit physicians annually to get treatment for unintentional injuries, many which are the result of negligence or wrongdoing on someone else’s part. When you are seriously injured in an accident due to no fault of your own, you should see the counsel of an Ohio personal injury attorney to determine if you should file suit.
Suffering a severe personal injury can be traumatic and it is no time to attempt to navigate the legal system unassisted. The right personal injury attorney will represent your interests, preserve your rights, and maximize the value of your claim while you focus on your recovery. However, finding the right personal injury attorney can be an overwhelming experience, especially if you aren’t sure where to start.
Here’s what you need to know about finding the right personal injury attorney for your claim in Ohio.
Table of Contents
Start with Recommendations
Word of mouth is the best advertising and people will be talking about their experience with great personal injury attorneys. It’s always best to start by asking for recommendations from friends, family, and even colleagues. If the people you know don’t have any experiences with personal injury attorneys, you can consult a referral service. Most of them are free and it’s a good place to start.
After getting multiple names from people you know or a referral service, you’ll want to investigate a little further. Check reviews on multiple platforms and weed out the names of attorneys with multiple unsatisfactory reviews. You should even take things a step further and investigate each firm on the Better Business Bureau website.
Make a List of Characteristics
Now it’s time to sit down and make out a list. For instance, you may want to work with an attorney who offers a free initial consultation or one who works on a contingency basis. Write down your specific questions about protocols and communication procedures. You may want to ask about litigation experience or how many cases successfully settled before going to trial. Sit down and think about which characteristics are most important to you and write down your specific questions.
Interview the Candidates
Take the time to speak with more than one law firm. You may decide to speak with 3 or 4 and that’s fine but you’ll want to sit down with more than one. This is a crucial step in choosing the best personal injury attorney for your specific claim. You’ll want to ensure that you communicate well, and you understand their protocols for building a case.
You place a lot of trust in your Ohio personal injury attorney so it’s critical that you choose one who will take your case seriously. You want to ensure they have extensive experience in the field as well as a transparent pricing structure that they are willing to share before you sign any documents. Some attorneys will urge you to sign an exclusive contract with them before giving you specific details about their fee structure and that’s a no-no.
Choose the Best Ohio Personal Injury Attorney
Don’t make an immediate decision about which attorney to work with no matter how you feel. Take the time to contemplate all the information you’ve gathered. Even if you’re leaning towards a specific choice, you’ll want to at least think about it overnight before deciding. Remember, ask for recommendations, make a list of desired characteristics, and interview more than one firm. After gathering all the information, take a day or two to decide. Then, partner with the best Ohio personal injury attorney for your specific claim.
