If you have been injured in an accident, you are probably drowning in solicitations from personal injury attorneys. They send you letters and ads, call you on the phone, and may even come to visit you. There is a reason why personal injury attorneys are not-so-jokingly referred to as “ambulance chasers.”
If you are wondering how they got your information, the truth is they bought it. People who have been involved in a car accident often get a traffic ticket. The record of this ticket is public information, and there are companies that look through this info, pulling the names of addresses of people involved in accidents. Attorneys buy these lists of names and start advertising to the people included on them.
The ads will eventually stop, but they can be overwhelming, particularly if you or a loved one has been seriously injured and you are trying to focus on recovery.
What is even more frustrating, is that it is impossible to know from the ads which lawyer would be the best one to hire. Many make similar claims, and all of them are going to tout their best results, not what they are able or likely to get in a case like yours.
Doing a Google search for an attorney is a slightly better option since you can look for one that seems to specialize in cases dealing with your specific issue, but there are some downsides. Google often filters results so that you only see options that are near to you geographically. For example, if you live in South Jersey, and you want to find an attorney that specializes in traumatic brain injuries, Google might not show you results for lawyers based in North Jersey, even if the best traumatic brain injury lawyers are in North Jersey or even in NYC.
So how do you pick a personal injury attorney? The answer is to shop around, and to take advantage of the free initial consultation most attorneys offer.
If you have ever worked with an attorney, ask them who they would recommend using. If they say, “me,” be wary. Lawyers, like doctors, specialize. It is very unusual for an attorney that does divorce law or makes estate plans to also be a great personal injury attorney.
If you know someone that has dealt with a similar issue, ask them who their attorney was and whether they liked him or her.
If you don’t have any prior connections, consider reaching out to your county bar association and asking for a referral.
The next step is to meet with one or more of the attorneys recommended to you. Most personal injury attorneys offer potential clients a free initial consultation. During this meeting, the lawyer will ask you questions about your situation to determine whether you have a case they would like to take on. But this should not be a one-sided meeting. You should also be asking questions and attempting to figure out if the attorney you are meeting with is someone you would want to work with. Someone you would trust your deepest secrets to and be comfortable pinning your hopes on. If you don’t like an attorney you meet with, don’t hire them. There are plenty of us out here.
The best personal injury attorney for you is going to be one that is both highly competent and comfortable to work with.