Here are the top 5 mistakes we see people make when they go to hire a car accident attorney:
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
People get enamored with the commercials or size of the law firms they see. They think that because of these things, they will get the best representation. Unfortunately, what typically happens in these “mills” is that the case will immediately be handed off to a paralegal or an associate with limited experience. This happens every day as soon as people sign up. If you are looking for a more personal touch, look for smaller law firms that will be able to give you and your case one on one attention.
Hiring a Lawyer Referred by Friends or Family
Many attorneys take cases on as a favor to friends or family. Even though it’s being done as a favor to the client, it does an injustice to their case. If the attorney is a personal injury attorney, that is one thing, however, in a lot of cases they aren’t. Many folks who are injured are seeking out the services of an attorney for the first time and simply don’t know to look for a car accident attorney. When the friend or relative suggests someone, it saves them the trouble of having to go down that road. If you are referred to someone, make sure that they have handled personal injury or car accident cases before accepting them to represent you.
Hiring Someone Who Doesn’t Focus on Personal Injury
Similar to #2, this would be a lawyer who is a “general practitioner.” This means that the lawyer does a little bit of everything. While they may be experienced, they may not be experienced in personal injury and how to navigate certain aspects of the case to work it up for trial. General practitioners may be fine for the smaller run of the mill cases, but the more complex and worse the injuries, you will want someone who focuses on personal injury.
Hiring a Settlement Lawyer or Firm
This is similar to the larger firms. These types of lawyers or firms will come in and just try to settle the case as quickly as they can. They are “mills” that handle a bunch of cases and just churn clients in and out without any personal touch. Many people feel like they got the short end of the stick when it comes to this style of representation because it’s not designed to maximize dollars for the client. Don’t be fooled by the size and don’t be fooled by hiring someone who guarantees a quick settlement.
Not Researching the Attorney or Firm
With so many sites offering reviews, you should be able to find something written about your prospective personal injury attorney. But even beyond that, look at their website, maybe watch some videos. Do you feel informed? Do you feel like they’ll be the right fit? The fact is not every attorney is right for every case. If you do a little research beforehand, you can make sure you find yourself the right car accident attorney.
If you’re looking for a Sacramento car accident attorney or San Diego car accident attorney, please call us today for a FREE case evaluation at (916) 619-5452!
