I often have people ask me, Ryan, with all of the Missouri personal injury lawyers out there, how do I pick the right one? My response is usually, "pick the injury lawyer you are most comfortable with." To me, this means you need to do the following when choosing a personal injury lawyer to represent you:
1. Choose a lawyer that has significant experience in litigating personal injury claims. Ask him or her how many personal injury trials they have done in the last year. Remember, more than 90% of all personal injury cases settle out of court. There are some lawyers who make a living on settling injury claims- not trying cases. You need to make sure you are not at one of these offices. Your lawyer should be ready, willing, and able to try your injury claim to a jury, if necessary.
2. Interview, interview, interview! Meet with as many qualified lawyers as you can. If they insist you speak to one of their associates or secretaries about your case, chances are you are at the wrong place. Do not be afraid to leave!
3. A good Missouri accident lawyer will take whatever time necessary to learn about you, your family, your background and most importantly, your injury and how your injury has changed your life.
4. Ask your potential lawyer if he or she writes articles for any publications, web sites or journals. If he or she does not, they may not be on the cutting edge of Missouri injury law.
5. Ask him or her if they will finance your litigation. The last thing you need when recovering from a personal injury is worrying about paying for your personal injury lawsuit.
6. Ask the lawyer what their overall strategy is in handling your case. A typical response from a lawyer is we are going to do "X, Y and Z." I think the best place to start is by asking the client "what are your goals in having me represent you" or "if you could snap your fingers, what would you like to have done." A typical response is, "help make my personal injury go away." Most lawyers tell their clients, "I can't do that." Nonsense! Your lawyer should have knowledge of the very best medical doctors or specialists in Missouri, and if needed, the country. Many times, when a client initially comes to me, they are not even seeing the right medical specialist for their injury. Ask your lawyer who you should be treating with, get their name, and by all means GO!
7. Ask your Missouri injury lawyer for the names and phone numbers of other clients they have assisted in injuries like yours. Call them and ask what they liked or disliked about that lawyer and whether they would go back to him or her.
Overall, the choice of an injury lawyer is arguable as important as who you marry (maybe more important). You are beginning a relationship with someone who has the power to make your life much better or worse. If you follow the advice I have here, you will make the right decision 99% of the time.
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