5 Ways To Know You Picked the Right Slip & Fall Attorney

Proving slip-and-fall cases is a difficult task, which is why hiring a personal injury attorney can help to legitimize your claim. Negotiating with insurance companies can be difficult without a legal professional who knows what they are doing. Insurers often attempt to lowball you out of your best settlement offer to protect their bottom line. 

But with so many personal injury attorneys, how do you know which is the best for your case, and which one will give you the best chance at maximizing your settlement offer? Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to pick the right slip-and-fall attorney for your case.

Ask Your Friends and Coworkers for Referrals

Word-of-mouth and personal recommendations are among the most robust ways to find a reliable attorney for your slip-and-fall claim. Consider starting within your social network of family, friends, and coworkers to discover if anyone has worked with a personal injury attorney before with excellent results. Also, consider asking them if they might know of a good lawyer they’ve worked with for civil cases such as divorce, contract disputes, or other matters. Even if that particular lawyer doesn’t deal with personal injury accidents, they may still be able to direct you to a reliable one who does, so don’t discard such recommendations. 

Check for Lawyer Ratings or Reviews

Knowing if your attorney is ranked in good standing with their local bar association is vital. To do this, you can check out online rating directories, which give information about an attorney’s past educational history, basic knowledge, and particular law skills. Some sites to check out for lawyer ratings include: 

Avvo

A popular site for finding a lawyer which provides you with online attorney ratings, resumes, and testimonials from past clients. However, the rating system on this site is based primarily on how a lawyer utilizes it, so it’s important to note that the ratings may not be an entirely accurate ranking of past client experiences.

Martindale

More straightforward than Avvo, this site uses a peer-review system to produce attorney ratings, meaning rankings are based on other attorneys’ ratings of their coworkers. They also offer client reviews and ratings on the website, giving a more comprehensive picture than sites such as Avvo.

Legal Match

Instead of offering a directory for possible clients, Legal Match attempts to pair a lawyer’s services with potential clients seeking those specific skills. 

Value Experience Over Appearances 

Even though television and movies have conditioned us to believe that a good lawyer should have a degree from Harvard Law, wear fancy dress clothes, and work in the middle of a downtown high-rise office building, in real life, that doesn’t mean they’re actually a good lawyer. Remember, when trying to select someone right for your case, fancy aesthetics don’t always matter. Instead, look for an attorney with a solid track record in the courtroom and plenty of legal experience. Your goal is to find the best person to win the results you need, so try not to get too caught up over whether a not a lawyer fits the image of what a lawyer should be in your head.

Less experienced lawyers may have more time to give your case the attention it deserves and be hungrier to prove themselves to further their career, so don’t dismiss them over seasoned lawyers either. However, while a more experienced lawyer may have less time to handle your case, they may also have a great depth of knowledge to combat any tactics the insurance company might throw at them, so carefully weigh the pros and cons of each before reaching a final decision.

Schedule a Free Consultation

After you’ve narrowed down your list of potential lawyers, you must speak with them individually to gain an accurate picture of the best-suited candidate for your case. Free consultations are a way to consult with an attorney before agreeing to work with them, and they give you a clear idea of how they will handle your case.  

You will typically need to bring all documentation surrounding your case to the consultation, including medical bills, injury reports, photos, and anything else relevant. During the meeting, do not shy away from asking your potential lawyer the more difficult questions, such as: 

• How many slip-and-fall cases have you handled?
• How much time are you willing to devote to my case?
• What are the chances that my case will go to trial?
• What is the minimum amount I should expect for a settlement offer?
• How often are you available to reach by phone?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?

Assess How You Truly Feel About the Lawyers You Met With

Once you have concluded meeting potential attorneys for your case, it’s time to make some hard decisions and narrow that list down to one. A few questions you should consider asking yourself include the following:

How did the main office make you feel? Was the office organized and timely?

Did you have to wait long to speak with the attorney? If so, it could mean that they don’t have as much time to devote to your case, which may indicate future problems you may encounter.

• Was the lawyer focused on your case when you met? If not, then it’s possible they may not be the right person for the job, especially if they are more concerned about other cases than your own.
• Did the lawyer communicate well with you? You should feel comfortable and confident speaking with your lawyer, and they should answer any questions you have in a way that makes sense to you. 
• What does your gut instinct say about the lawyer? Sometimes, your gut instinct is there for a reason, and it’s important to trust what it says. Your lawyer should make you feel confident in choosing them.

Conclusion

Choosing the right lawyer for your case is one of, if not the most, critical steps you’ll take in the process of your slip-and-fall claim. It’s crucial not to rush the process and to thoroughly vet out any potential attorney you may be considering for the job. A good lawyer will enthusiastically fight to maximize your settlement offer and make you feel comfortable throughout the legal process, explaining any questions or concerns you may have. Whatever you choose, it’s vital to pick the person that eases your concerns and makes you feel confident working alongside them.