If you have been seriously injured in an Indiana accident through no fault of your own, you need a personal injury lawyer who understands the Indiana court system. You need a knowledgeable lawyer who can guide you through the injury claims process and offer trusted guidance.
As soon as you decide to hire a lawyer, the next challenge will be choosing the right lawyer for your situation. You need an attorney who has experience handling cases similar to your case. You need a lawyer with the knowledge and resources to pursue your case to trial if necessary to seek just compensation for your injuries and related losses.
In this blog, the legal team at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC discusses how to select the right lawyer and why hiring a local lawyer is often the best choice.
Choosing the Right Lawyer
A good place to start your search for a lawyer is to ask friends and family members for referrals. Do your own research, and read online reviews and testimonials.
Once you have identified some attorneys to consider, you can request an initial consultation with prospective attorneys to ask questions such as:
- How long have you been practicing law?
- Where are you licensed to practice law?
- Have you handled any cases similar to mine? How many?
- When was the last time you handled a case similar to mine?
- Do you have any special knowledge or training that could apply to my case?
- What are the possible outcomes you can foresee for my case?
- Can you provide a rough estimate of how much time and money it will take to pursue my case?
- Will you handle my case exclusively, or will others handle it as well?
- What does the size and scope of your current caseload look like?
- Will you have enough time to devote to my case?
- What types of fee arrangements do you offer?
- Is there room to negotiate fees?
- Do you require any up-front or out-of-pocket payments?
- Can you provide references from previous clients?
- How will you update me when there are developments in my case?
Things to Consider When Hiring a Lawyer
Essentially, the process of hiring a personal injury attorney is like conducting a job interview. You’re the supervisor, and the lawyer is the candidate seeking the job to represent you. Your responsibility is to ask the right questions to see if the attorney is the best person for your case.
Here are some key questions people ask before choosing a lawyer:
Is the Attorney a Good Communicator?
The right attorney will have strong communication skills. Not only will they explain the legal process to you, offer sound legal advice, and help you understand the law, they will also keep you updated and informed at every step of the process, particularly when critical developments occur.
A good lawyer will be available to return your calls and reply to your messages while recognizing where the line between good communication and unnecessary overcommunication lies. The last thing you need is an attorney who doesn’t call you back or ignore your messages, especially when so much is at stake. The legal process can be stressful and contentious, making good communication critical.
Do They Focus on Personal Injury Law?
When hiring an attorney, make sure that they focus on the area of the law that pertains to your case. You wouldn’t want to hire an environmental lawyer to help with your personal injury case. After suffering serious injuries, you want an attorney who practices personal injury law.
The Indiana State Bar Association offers a Locate Your Lawyer tool that shows people how to find an attorney by specialty.
How Much Experience Do They Have?
When hiring an attorney, you need to ensure that they have experience representing clients like you. Some attorneys work with plaintiffs, the people who initiate legal claims against a negligent party. For example, a car accident victim seeking compensation from a drunk driver would be the plaintiff in a personal injury case. The intoxicated driver would be the defendant. If you are the plaintiff in a personal injury case, your best bet will be to hire an attorney who has experience handling the plaintiff’s claims.
When speaking with a prospective attorney, you should also ask how many years they have been practicing law and whether they have litigation experience. While many personal injury cases settle before going to trial, it is important to ensure that your attorney has trial experience if the insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith or offer a fair settlement.
In general, the more years of experience an attorney has under their belt, the better.
How Aggressively Do They Represent Their Clients?
Remember: every insurer’s goal is to save money. Insurance companies are for-profit entities and will use various tactics to try and reduce the amount they pay you. You need an attorney who knows how to circumvent those strategies and aggressively negotiate a settlement for you.
You also need an attorney willing to take your case to trial if necessary. Insurance companies and their legal teams can be formidable forces, and you want someone who is unafraid to go toe-to-toe with them at trial. A good personal injury lawyer will fiercely defend your rights in court and fight tirelessly for the best possible outcome.
What Are Their Credentials?
When researching lawyers to represent you, pay close attention to their credentials. How long have they been practicing law? Where did they attend law school? Did they receive any special awards or accolades? Experience counts, and you want someone with a reputation for excellence.
What Do Other Clients Say About Them?
One of the best ways to gauge the services of a specific attorney is to research what past clients say about them. Many attorneys post testimonials to their websites. You can typically find client reviews through online searches and social media. If a lawyer previously represented a friend or family member, that’s even better. All of these methods can help ensure your case is in good hands.
Are They Upfront About Their Fee Structure?
Most personal injury attorneys accept cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you don’t owe any money upfront. Instead, you will only pay your attorney a fee if they successfully secure compensation for you. In general, personal injury attorneys will take a percentage of the total settlement they recover for you. Make sure you understand the fee agreement before choosing a lawyer. The fee structure should be stated in a written agreement so that there is no confusion when the attorney is paid for their legal services.
Finding a Lawyer You Are Comfortable Talking With About Your Injuries
One of the most important things to focus on is whether you feel comfortable talking to a prospective attorney. Is the attorney listening to you and asking thoughtful questions about your situation?
Keep in mind that personal injury cases often touch on some sensitive topics. You may need to tell your lawyer about your medical issues, job-related concerns, and even some things you would ordinarily never discuss with someone you have recently met.
An established and comfortable rapport with your attorney is essential. If anything feels off when you speak to a prospective lawyer, or simply don’t know if you feel confident placing your future in their hands, it’s better to move on.
Determining What Size Law Firm You’d Like to Work With
Another important consideration is the size of the law firm. Although bigger law firms may have their names emblazoned on billboards and television ads, this doesn’t necessarily mean they provide superior quality legal services. Many firms that advertise on television are national firms that do not have a local presence.
In many cases, selecting a small or mid-size firm actually means you will receive more hands-on attention. A huge number of lawyers with substantial caseloads often translates to less time spent on each individual case.
If you choose a lawyer from a huge firm, you may not even meet them until it’s time to go to trial. You may have a team of rotating attorneys and end up working with someone new each time.
Hiring a lawyer from a smaller firm means you will have a dedicated professional who is focused on you and your case. You will receive the guidance and information you need from a real person whom you can trust.
Top Reasons to Pick a Local Lawyer
When you select a local lawyer, you can be assured that the lawyer is familiar with the legal customs and conventions in the area and knows how to navigate local court systems. A large law firm that advertises nationally on television may not have an attorney licensed to practice in Indiana. The firm may need to affiliate with a local firm to pursue a case. Craig, Kelley & Faultless has been hired to serve as local counsel in Indiana. Many attorneys have referred cases to Craig, Kelley & Faultless or hired our law firm to help with personal injury cases in Indiana.
Here are some additional advantages of hiring a local attorney:
- Local lawyers have knowledge of local and state laws.
- Local lawyers are familiar with local courts and court procedures.
- Local lawyers know the local police, judges, and prosecutors.
- Local lawyers have convenient office locations, so you don’t have to travel as much for appointments. A local attorney may meet with you at your home or another location convenient to you if your injuries limit your mobility.
- Local lawyers are familiar with local roads and areas where accidents are common.
- Local lawyers understand the typical local costs of things like medical care and vehicle repair services.
If you happen to be from a different state, it’s still usually a good idea to hire a local attorney from the area where the accident occurred. In most states, you must work with an attorney licensed to operate in the state where you plan to take legal action. Our lawyers at Craig, Kelley & Faultless are licensed to practice in Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
Choosing the right attorney can make all the difference in a personal injury case. Trust your instinct and never settle for less than the outstanding representation you deserve.
Find a Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney
One of the most reliable indicators of a competent, ethical lawyer is board certification because it means an independent organization has evaluated the attorney’s qualifications and found them satisfactory.
The best place to start is with attorneys who are board certified in truck accident law from the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), an attorney board certifying agency accredited by the American Bar Association. The NBTA established the truck accident law certification for attorneys who devote a substantial percentage of their practice to trucking litigation, show hands-on experience in multiple truck accident cases, and pass a comprehensive written exam.
To become board certified in truck accident law, an attorney must demonstrate:
- That at least 30 percent of his or her time has been spent practicing truck accident law during the three years preceding the application.
- Participation in at least one hundred adversarial events such as trials and hearings.
- Participation in continuing legal education and development of the law with respect to commercial motor vehicle accidents. You can’t fake it. You can’t buy your way in.
There is extensive vetting of candidates to ensure that only attorneys who can objectively demonstrate competency in truck wreck cases become board certified.
Attorney David Craig recently interviewed Attorney Michael Leizerman, Founder of The Law Firm for Truck Safety on the After the Crash podcast. David and Michael discussed how to pick the right lawyer for your semi-truck wreck case. View the full interview here.
Research Potential Attorneys
Once you have selected a board certified lawyer, I recommend researching that attorney on the Martindale-Hubbell website. Established in 1868, Martindale-Hubbell is a respected lawyer directory that provides peer and client review ratings for lawyers across the country.
Look for a lawyer that has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s “AV Preeminent” rating. This AV rating signifies that a large number of the lawyer’s peers—other attorneys and members of the judiciary—have ranked him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge and ethical standards.
Another peer-driven system, Avvo, also ranks attorneys. Look on Avvo or the law firm’s website to see how the lawyer you are considering working with ranks among his or her peers. The highest ranking available—a 10.0 Superb rating—is a good indication that you will be in competent and experienced hands from a substantive legal and ethical standpoint.
Ask Attorneys the Hard Questions
Lastly, you’ll want to narrow your choices down to two or three attorneys and then interview them, preferably in person.
Ask them who in the office will actually be working on your case. Sometimes a lawyer will be the face of the firm, the one you see on the billboards or in the TV ads, but it turns out that another lawyer entirely is going to be handling your matter. Ask to meet the entire team.
Don’t be afraid to ask the lead attorney some hard questions, including why they are the best person for the job. Do they seem like they’d value you as a client? You probably want someone who respects you and wants to help you get the money you deserve, not someone who thinks you’re lucky to have them as your lawyer.
The Right Choice Will Have Qualifications and Compassion
Lastly, don’t forget to listen to your gut and pick an attorney who shows empathy and compassion. You are going to be spending a lot of time with the lawyer that you choose. Trucking accident cases can take months or years. All things being equal, hire a lawyer who is empathetic, someone you feel like you can talk to and who will be available to you.
It takes time and money to heal your broken bones and replace your wrecked car, and finding the right lawyer puts you on the best path to getting the compensation you deserve. If you can find someone who is compassionate as well as qualified, as shown by their board certification, peer-review rating, and their answers to tough questions, you’ll be in good hands as you take your trucking case to trial.
Contact Us Today for Professional Assistance with Your Case
Seeking compensation in a personal injury case can be complicated and confusing. Working with a qualified local attorney can make the process go more smoothly. An initial consultation with an Indiana personal injury lawyer is free and will help you understand your legal options.
To learn more about how the Indiana lawyers of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC can help with your personal injury case, call us or contact us online today.
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