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There are important specific qualities you can identify that will help you select the right lawyer for your case. Any successful lawyer-client relationship is built on trust. That trust grows over time, but it has roots in qualities you can identify before you even meet with a lawyer and then explore in greater depth in your first meeting.
Experience and Focus
Individual lawyers have different types of practices. For a car accident case, you want to find a lawyer who regularly handles accident cases and knows all aspects of personal injury law.
A skilled car accident lawyer needs to understand more than just the law and insurance company processes involved in recovering compensation for a victim’s injuries. Investigating an accident to determine the cause requires solid analytical skills and knowledge about how accidents occur. Often, the attorney will need to conduct an investigation that goes beyond the information collected by police and provided by the insurance companies.
In addition, a lawyer should be experienced with different types of injuries. Ensuring that the full medical implications of your injuries are assessed and evaluated can make a big difference in the amount of compensation you can recover.
An accomplished personal injury attorney also will know how to use the right experts to prove a case when it’s appropriate. Experts can be used to establish causation or substantiate the extent of injuries. Effective use of experts can make a significant difference in the outcome of a case.
While many car accident cases end with a settlement from an insurance company, your lawyer should be an experienced litigator, who can take your case to trial if the settlement offers are insufficient. The best car accident lawyers will have actual trial experience as well as experience negotiating settlements with insurance companies.
When you review an attorney’s website information, as well as when you meet with the lawyer the first time, explore the attorney’s background and experience to make sure he or she has the full range of experience and focus that is essential in pursuing a car accident case.
Professionalism and Client Service
One of the qualities most important to you as a client will be the lawyer’s professionalism in all aspects of the relationship. That includes the professional knowledge that the attorney applies to the case, but it extends as well to the attorney’s dedication to you as the client.
An accomplished attorney focuses as intently on providing exemplary client service as he or she does to succeeding in representing the client on legal issues. Client service includes attentiveness, responsiveness, and being accessible to the client. Your relationship with your attorney should be comfortable and personable. You should feel like the attorney will always have your and your family’s best interests at heart.
When you are injured in a car accident that was another person’s fault, you deserve to have the best car accident lawyer represent you to ensure that you recover the full amount of compensation you deserve. But finding that lawyer can be challenging — how do you even know what to look for in a lawyer?
Client service orientation extends beyond the attorney himself or herself, to others in the law office who may work on your case. Often, there will be a paralegal or a legal assistant who helps the attorney prepare your case. You should feel that everyone you work with in the office is dedicated to you and to your case.
The attorney-client relationship is protected by privilege. That means your communications with your lawyer are strictly confidential. When you talk with your lawyer, you should feel completely assured that your discussions with your lawyer are private and will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. That extends to other individuals in the law office who work on your case as well.
Fee Agreement
A very important part of your relationship with your lawyer is the fee agreement for your case. While most personal injury lawyers handle car accident cases on a contingent fee basis, fee arrangements can vary significantly among lawyers.
Before you agree to have an attorney represent you, the terms of the fee agreement should be discussed in detail with the lawyer. You will be asked to sign a fee agreement if you do decide to retain the lawyer, and that agreement should reflect the terms you and the lawyer discussed.
Where To Find the Best Car Accident Lawyer
There are a several different ways to find an accomplished car accident lawyer. Often, friends or family members will be familiar with personal injury attorneys from their own experience and will be able to provide recommendations.
The internet is a valuable resource for information about attorneys in specific locations. You can use the internet either to search for attorneys or to read about attorneys that have been recommended to you.
Most law firms have websites that provide a wealth of information about the lawyers and practice areas. Some websites include a blog where you can find answers to questions you have, even before you meet with the attorney. Many law firm websites also have a client testimonial page, where actual clients share their experiences with the law firm or lawyer. The reviews and comments from an attorney’s clients are a valuable resource when you are evaluating a lawyer.
Talk With an Experienced Virginia Beach Car Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one suffered catastrophic injuries in a Virginia accident that was another person’s fault, Virginia Beach car accident lawyer Jeff Brooke has the experience and skill to help you. Our client testimonials demonstrate our commitment to exceptional client service, as well as our dedication to helping clients and their families recover the compensation they deserve. Contact us by phone at (757) 785-0837 or by using our online contact form.
Jeff Brooke is a personal injury attorney devoted to helping individuals who have suffered serious and catastrophic injuries or lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligent and careless actions. The Jeff Brooke Team serves all of southeastern Virginia. The firm helps clients in the Greater Tidewater and Greater Hampton Roads areas, including in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Chesterfield. The Jeff Brooke Team also handles cases in northeastern North Carolina, including the Outer Banks.
