How to Pick an Auto Accident Attorney: Everything You Need to Know

Did you know that around 42,915 people died in car crashes in 2021 or that about 4.8 million people suffered severe injuries in car collisions in 2020? 

While vehicles are getting safer with new technologies and features, fender benders are still common on roadways and highways nationwide.

If you’re involved in an accident as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, you’ll want to get whatever compensation you deserve. It might be a long path toward recovery, so you need a legal professional.

But how do you pick an auto accident attorney? Keep reading to find out.

Ask People You Know for Recommendations

If you’re like many people, you go to family, friends, or co-workers for recommendations. It’s no different if you need a car accident lawyer but aren’t sure how to find one you can count on for your auto accident case.

Consider the following statistics about the importance of recommendations:

1. 83% of consumers say they completely or somewhat rely on recommendations from family, friends, and colleagues
2. Almost three in four consumers acknowledge that word-of-mouth feedback factors highly into their buying decisions 

Do you know people who have been in auto accidents? You can start by getting feedback as to which law firms they hired to handle their cases.

Getting recommendations from people you know and trust will be more reliable than getting feedback from people or organizations you don’t know. 

Ask people in your circle of influence about what lawyer they hired, whether the lawyer was easy to work with, how satisfied they are with the outcome, and other things you want to know.

The feedback will give you something to chew on. Picking the brains of people you know will help you make an informed choice.

Look For Experience and Expertise

It’s also essential to find a car accident lawyer with ample experience helping people who’ve been involved in vehicle accidents.

You want to work with a lawyer with many years of experience. Such a legal professional will have seen just about any scenario imaginable. And that’s vital when you want to best possible outcome for your case.

Personal injury law is complex. So, finding a lawyer who knows the law inside and out will work out well in your favor. Hiring a young whippersnapper fresh out of law school shouldn’t be your go-to game plan. Prioritize experience.

An experienced lawyer will be able to do the following:

1. Explain your options
2. Let you know what you’re up against
3. Detail what the likelihood of success is
4. Know how to negotiate with insurers
5. Have the ability to negotiate settlements

Finding a lawyer who has helped people in your shoes also makes sense. That’ll give you more confidence that you’re in the right hands.

While you’re at it, ensure the lawyer you hire has expertise. That means the lawyer should focus exclusively on car accident cases rather than dabble in various areas.

You don’t want a jack of all trades going up to bat for you. The lawyer should have experience and expertise.

Check Out Online Reviews

Did you know that seven in 10 people believe online consumer reviews? It’ll be worth your while to check out some online reviews about lawyers.

It’ll be worth your while to check out some online reviews about lawyers. Research to learn which lawyers have law offices in and around your area. You can check out reviews from people who have retained these lawyers.

While reading online reviews for information is less reliable than getting recommendations from people you’re familiar with, it can still be helpful. You might see themes after reading several reviews on the same lawyers.

Don’t make a decision solely based on online reviews. But combing over online reviews can work in your favor since you can learn things about various lawyers. You might come up with questions you can ask during consultations.

Consider Availability

When considering options for attorneys, you’ll want to look at things like availability. The last thing you’ll want is to retain the services of a lawyer who you can’t get in touch with.

How easy is it to get a hold of a lawyer to ask questions, provide information, or for any other reason? If the court case drags on for months or years, you don’t want a situation where you don’t get timely callbacks.

When consulting with various lawyers ahead of hiring one, make note of whether you get timely responses. If you’re not yet a client and the lawyers you’re reaching out to don’t respond within 24 hours, are they a good fit?

Good lawyers who get good results for their clients are busy. But you want to ensure you have the attention of the auto accident lawyer you hire. It won’t do you much good if you can’t get ahold of your legal representative.

An auto accident injury case is no laughing matter. Don’t make the mistake of retaining a lawyer who has so many cases on the go that they can’t make sufficient time to represent, counsel, and assist you.

Some lawyers have support staff members who’ll fill in and help answer your questions. Ask any lawyers you’re considering about availability, who’ll be available to help you, and how long it’ll take to receive return calls or emails.

Ask About Success Rates

You’ll also want to ask any lawyers on your shortlist of candidates about their success rates. So, in addition to finding a lawyer with experience and expertise, you need to ensure the one you hire gets good results for clients.

Don’t be shy. Ask. Reputable lawyers who’ve had success in the courtroom and at the bargaining table won’t hesitate to share their success rates with you.

Any lawyers who don’t want to divulge this information might be hiding something.

If you’re injured in a car accident and want the compensation you deserve, you’ll want to find a lawyer who gets results. Finding a lawyer with a track record of getting the requested compensation is essential. 

One way you can figure out how good a job a lawyer will do for you is to see how well the lawyer has done for previous clients. So, again, don’t be shy about asking pointed questions about the lawyer’s success rate.

Find Out About Fees

You’ll want to ask specific questions about the fee structures. Don’t assume that all lawyers charge around the same amounts or have the same payment schedules. When speaking to different lawyers, ensure you get the nitty-gritty.

Get details about how much the lawyers charge, when payments are due, if you can make payments in installments, if payments are due after the case, or if payments are only due if you are awarded compensation.

When comparing attorney fees, look at what you get for those fees. Going with the lowest fee might not be the best course of action. It might make more sense to choose a lawyer who, while charging more, offers more services.

Hire Someone Who Will Battle With Insurers

Sometimes in your best interest to accept a settlement offer rather than go to court and face an uncertain outcome. But you don’t want a lawyer who is afraid of locking horns with the insurance companies in court.

Insurers often table lowball offers. You don’t want to hire a lawyer who’ll suggest you accept a less-than-acceptable compensation settlement offer when there’s a good possibility of success in a court case.

A good lawyer will advise you on the desirability of any offer and recommend whether or not to accept it based on the likelihood of success in court. Sometimes it’s best to pursue a settlement — but not at all costs.

If your lawyer recommends pursuing a settlement, you’ll want to be sure the settlement offer is acceptable. A reputable lawyer will go up to bat for you and fight tooth and nail to get you a good offer.

When speaking to prospective lawyers, ask questions about their strategies. You’ll want the best outcome possible, so find a lawyer who’ll fight for you.

Find Lawyer With Good Communication Skills

Most non-lawyers have no clue what the car accident case process entails. That’s why you need a lawyer. Finding a lawyer who can break things down in a way you can process and understand is vital.

You’ll want to know what the process is like, what options are available to you, which option the lawyer recommends in your specific case, the possible outcomes of a court case, and if settlement talks make the most sense.

A good lawyer can answer any questions you have along the way. There’ll be plenty of twists and turns, and you’ll want to know what to make of any developments.

During the consultation process, pay attention to how well the lawyers you talk to are at explaining things. Can a non-lawyer grasp what’s being said?

You also need to find a lawyer whose personality and communication style are a good fit. It’ll make the lawyer-client relationship run much smoother.

Look at Law Firm Websites

Another way to find the right car accident lawyer for your case is to check out the websites of law firms in and around your area.

Any professional organization should have a website you can access for essential information. Finding a lawyer specializing in car accident cases is a must. When you look at sites, verify specialization in can accident cases.

The websites should look professional. Yes, you should, in this sense, judge the book by its cover. A website with a professional design and good organization will allow you to find the information you’re looking for easily.

Alphaaccidentlawyers.com is an example of a professional website with the information you’ll want after a car accident. It’s one option to consider if you get in a car accident in Illinois and need to find a car accident lawyer.

You can learn about the various lawyers at the law firm, how long the law firm has been in operation, what types of cases the law firm takes on, and other essential things that’ll help you make an informed decision.

By the time you look at some websites, you’ll have a pretty good idea as to which lawyers you’re most interested in reaching out to. You can get the contact information from the websites, which will make things easier.

Consider How Lawyers Are Respected by Their Peers

When looking for car accident lawyers, consider how the ones on your shortlist of candidates are regarded by their peers. Go online to see if you can find out what other lawyers have to say about car accident lawyers in your area.

Don’t be shy about asking car accident lawyers you’re considering about what percentage of their business comes courtesy of referrals.

Lawyers only recommend other lawyers who they have confidence in. So, a high percentage of referrals indicates that the lawyer is worth looking into for your car accident case.

Now You Can Pick an Auto Accident Attorney

You’ll want to know what to do if you’re ever in a car accident. No one wants to face such a scenario, but vehicle mishaps are common.

Knowing how to pick an auto accident attorney is essential when you need compensation for any injuries sustained in a car accident. Finding the right car accident lawyer will increase your odds of getting a fair outcome.

Are you interested in checking out more content related to the legal field? Read other articles on our site for more news you can use.