Experts have estimated that there are 93,000 to 135,000 personal injury lawyers in the United States. Therefore, it should be easy to find a Georgia personal injury lawyer if you try.
However, finding the best personal injury lawyer is a different matter altogether. There are a lot of steps that you need to take when you do this. Read on to learn more about what to do when choosing a personal injury lawyer.
What Does a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer Do?
Personal injury is a specific area of law. It focuses on victims that have experienced damage to their person due to another person’s negligence. It does not help a victim cover any property damage.
Specific situations where such harm can occur include work injuries, medical malpractice, and vehicular accidents. Victims can sue for both mental and physical injuries they incurred in such situations.
To practice in this field, a lawyer must meet the qualifications required by their jurisdiction to practice law. This can change from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, some places require lawyers to pass a written ethics examination.
Other jurisdictions require some types of lawyers to take continuing legal education (CLE) classes. These teach lawyers about new developments in law and/or unfamiliar areas of law. Personal injury lawyers are usually not required to take CLE classes.
In addition, some bar associations will offer specific personal injury certifications. These are usually not required for a lawyer to practice personal injury law. However, they can help a lawyer prove his or her knowledge in the field.
Personal Injury Lawyer Guide to Searching
Most will begin a lawyer search with their favorite search engine. This isn’t necessarily a bad technique, especially if they know advanced search techniques. However, this route may take them a longer time than others.
They’ll need to inspect every website they find. In addition, they may feel the need to contact certain firms and ask questions. They’ll need to do this regardless, but there’s a way to limit their options from the start.
Before you look at any websites, get lawyer recommendations from others. Most personal injury lawyers in your area should have plenty of previous clients. You can find them and ask them about their experiences.
There are several ways to do this. You can ask anyone you know personally about their personal injury lawyer experiences. They may be able to point you in a good direction.
You can also ask for lawyer recommendations on local social media sites. At least a few members on there should have worked with a personal injury lawyer before.
In addition, talk to any other lawyers you’ve worked with before. They may have someone that they know personally and can recommend him or her.
Personal Injury Lawyer Tips for Credential Checking
After you have a list of possible lawyers to search for, you can begin checking the quality of their skills. To do this, there are some specific details that you must search for on his or her site. There are also some other details you can find elsewhere.
To start with, search for reviews of the lawyer’s practice on different review sites. Places like Yelp, Google Customer Reviews, and others will give you the opinions of average everyday consumers. Places like the Better Business Bureau will give you high-quality reviews from professionals.
You can then search through the credentials of the lawyer. The most important thing to look for is the legality of their practice. Look up the requirements for a lawyer to practice in your Georgia jurisdiction. Make sure that his or her education, licensing, and so on meets these requirements.
You can then look for smaller details. Look at how many years each lawyer has practiced and the amounts he or she has won for clients. You can also check his or her specific cases and see if any match yours.
Don’t forget about the cost, though. It’s good to have a skilled lawyer, but you don’t want to go completely bankrupt. Try to make a compromise between cost and skills that matches your case, wants, and income.
Final Personal Injury Lawyer Tips
If you’re still having trouble, here are some final techniques you can use to choose between lawyers. Before you hire a personal injury lawyer, call him or her and ask questions about your case. You can also ask to meet him or her in person for a consultation if you have time.
When you talk to each lawyer, pay attention. Listen to how polite and professional he or she sounds. This can show you how dedicated he or she is to satisfying their client’s wants and needs.
You should also pay attention to how well he or she describes how they can help your case. This won’t just show his or her level of knowledge about personal injury law. It will also show how well he or she can keep you in the loop during a case.
If you go to a lawyer’s office, there are some more signs of professionalism you can find there. If he or she dresses neatly and his or her office is well-organized, he or she cares about his or her clients. You can also probably find proof of his or her educational and professional credentials on his or her office walls.
When You Need a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer, Consider One of Ours
As a final tip, remember to take your time with this important search. It will probably take you some time to find the right Georgia personal injury lawyer that meets all of your needs. If you feel frustrated about this, remember that your high compensation will be worth it in the end.
While you’re on your search, consider using our services. Our law firm focuses on representing Augusta and Aiken individuals involved in personal injury as well as many family law matters. Contact us today to set up a consultation to discuss your case with us.
