10 Things to Look for in a Personal Injury Attorney

If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, it’s important to find good legal help as soon as you can. Evidence starts to disappear quickly, and the insurance company adjuster is not on your side. The longer you wait to hire a car accident lawyer, the harder it might be to win fair compensation from a personal injury claim.

However, actually choosing the right personal injury lawyer can feel overwhelming! If you live in a decent-sized city like Louisville, a quick Internet search will probably bring up dozens of options. How do you decide?

Not every personal injury attorney is right for every type of case, but you can narrow your search by looking for a few key qualities. Keep reading for more information about what to look for.

And if you’re ready to reach out to an attorney now, don’t hesitate to contact the Karl Truman Law Office at (502) 222-2222 to request a free consultation. We’ll be happy to provide an honest assessment of your case and let you know whether we think we can help or know someone else we can recommend.

Here are 10 things to look for:

RELATED POST: When to Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident – Truman Law

1. Focused Experience in Personal Injury Law

Some law firms only handle personal injury cases or have attorneys that exclusively focus on personal injury. Other attorneys may be more “general practitioners”—perhaps they mostly do family or contract law but take a personal injury case when they have time.

The advantage of choosing a lawyer or law firm dedicated to personal injury law is cohesive experience. Everyone at the firm, from the attorneys to the staff, is accustomed to trying personal injury cases. As a result, not only is the team well-versed in relevant laws and procedures, but they know the questions and concerns personal injury clients often have.

This enables the law firm to provide a consistent client experience, which is invaluable for trying personal injury claims effectively and efficiently.

2. Experience Handling Cases Like Yours

Even among personal injury attorneys, you might also find attorneys that have expertise in specific areas or are willing to take certain kinds of cases that other attorneys might not.

For example, not all personal injury attorneys are willing to take commercial vehicle cases. Since these cases are often extremely complex and expensive to litigate, some law firms don’t really have the resources or risk tolerance to take them.

During your free consultation, it’s worth asking the attorney if they’ve handled cases like yours or that caused similar types of injuries—and if so, what the results were.

3. Trial Experience

Even though most personal injury cases don’t actually go to trial, it still usually helps to hire a personal injury lawyer who is willing to try cases in front of a jury (and has a good track record of success when doing so).

Some law firms actively avoid trials. They will file a personal injury lawsuit, but they’ll always settle—no matter what. The problem is that the insurance companies know this, so they don’t have as much pressure to make a fair settlement offer. Even if your case doesn’t go to trial, the risk of a big loss in front of a jury can lead to better settlements.

At Truman Law Firm, we have a lengthy track record of successful trial verdicts. That said, our priority is to represent our clients’ wishes to the best of our ability. We will give clients our honest opinion about whether we think they should take their personal injury claim to trial, but they always make the final decision.

RELATED POST: Will My Car Accident Go to Trial? | Karl Truman

4. Positive, Informative Reviews

Most people don’t buy a product or invest in a service without first reading reviews. This is especially important when you’re trying to find a lawyer to handle your personal injury case.

When you check out reviews, consider:

• The authenticity of the reviewer (i.e., do the accounts read like they are from actual clients rather than an employee or friend of the firm?)
• The type of case the firm helped them resolve
• Attorneys or staff members they highlight by name
• Their satisfaction with the response time from the attorney or firm
• Their satisfaction with how completely team members answered their questions and addressed their concerns
• Their satisfaction with the outcome
• The response from the firm

Client reviews are one of the most compelling factors in any injured person’s decision to hire an attorney. If the reviews are predominantly negative or you see multiple mentions of a particular issue, it may be worthwhile to keep looking for another lawyer or law firm.

5. A Strong Local Presence

Some law firms advertise that they accept cases throughout the country. They might even have a local office serving clients in major metropolitan areas. However, these firms generally don’t have the community roots that locally owned and operated firms have.

A strong local presence can help your case in many ways:

• Civil law, including the statutes governing personal injury and wrongful death claims, varies by state. Filing requirements may differ by county or city, and individual courts hear different kinds of cases.
• A local attorney will likely have more connections to medical and community resources their clients need. They’ll be able to recommend doctors and medical specialists, support groups, community programs, and other local services.
• Attorneys and staff who are based in the community know the local court system. They know the judges and clerks, and they may have faced the opposition counsel in court before. As a result, choosing an attorney who is entrenched in the community comes with extensive experience navigating the court where your case may be tried, as well as the parties involved.
• An attorney located near you is someone you can easily meet with in person. They could even visit you at the hospital or your residence, if the situation calls for it. We find that many of our clients strongly prefer in-person, face-to-face conversations over phone or video consultations whenever possible.

6. Accessibility and Communication

Great lawyers understand the importance of timely, open, and clear communication with their clients.

At your free consultation, ask the attorney how often they check in on their client’s recovery and provide updates about the case. You should also ask about the best way to get in touch with the attorney if you have a question or concern, and how soon you can expect a response.

Good communication is especially important because personal injury cases can take a long time to resolve. Cases that end up going to trial can take two years or more. It can be incredibly stressful if you haven’t heard from your lawyer in a long time, and you don’t know where you stand.

A great lawyer is someone who will always keep you up to speed, get back to you promptly when you have questions, and explain everything in terms you can understand.

7. Honesty

The truth is there are relatively few “open and shut” personal injury cases. Evidence has to be gathered and interpreted. You might interpret the evidence one way, but the insurance company is probably going to come to a different conclusion—one that allows them to offer you less.

A good personal injury lawyer should always be completely straight with you about the risks, the “good” and “bad” facts in your case, and what your chances of success really are. If you get the impression that your lawyer is hiding things from you, being evasive when you ask questions, or too quick to guarantee success, that could be a red flag.

8. Qualifications and Board Certifications

Anyone who completes law school, passes the bar exam, and remains in good standing with the state bar association can practice law in the state where they are licensed.

However, many personal injury lawyers choose to pursue additional training, credentials, and board certifications. To be board-certified, a personal injury lawyer must generally complete coursework and prove, to an independent review board, they have achieved a very high standard of skill and expertise within a particular discipline. Attorney Karl Truman, for example, is certified as a civil trial specialist and in pre-trial procedure by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

While it’s certainly true that you can be a great personal injury lawyer without being board-certified, as a potential client, knowing that your attorney is certified can help you feel more confident that they have a high level of skill, commitment, and expertise.

9. Clear and Fair Fee System

Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency. That means they don’t get paid unless, and until, they make a recovery for you.

However, you should always ask any potential firm what their fee policy is before you hire them. How is their attorney fee calculated? How do they handle court fees—are you responsible to pay those even if the attorney loses the case?

At Truman Law, our clients never ever pay out of pocket. We also have a 30-Day Guarantee promise. If you aren’t 100% satisfied with our representation at any point within the first 30 days after hiring us, you can walk away and owe us nothing—even if we’ve already spent time and money working on your case. 

10. Personal Comfort with the Attorney and Staff

Again, remember that it may take a long time to settle your personal injury case. Hiring a law firm that makes you feel safe, comfortable, and well taken care of can be huge for your personal peace of mind. How does the lawyer present themself? What were the interactions with the front office staff like? Do you feel like these are people you can trust? If you aren’t 100% sure, consider scheduling a consultation with a different law firm.

Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys in KY and IN Today

If you need assistance with a personal injury claim, the Karl Truman Law Office has the experience, results, and reputation to serve your needs. Our founder, attorney Karl Truman, is recognized by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a specialist in civil trial law and pre-trial procedure. He and our team of attorneys and staff try each case with compassion and dedication to achieve the optimal result for each client.

The Karl Truman Law Office serves clients in and around Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana. Please call (502) 222-222 today for your free consultation.