How Can I Make Sure The Attorneys I Hire Aren’t Ambulance Chasers?

Free Evaluation

 

100% Secure & Confidential

There are a lot of good personal injury attorneys out there.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad ones too.  How do you know you’re hiring an experienced, effective and ethical attorney rather than an ambulance chaser?  Here are four tips to help you separate the good from the bad.

  • Do your research.
  • Don’t hire a TV lawyer or a lawyer that contacts you after an accident.
  • Make sure the attorney has experience handling your type of case.
  • Ask who will be working on your case.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Many attorneys know who the good and bad personal injury attorneys are. If you know or have worked with an attorney before, be it for a will, business or criminal matter, ask them for a recommendation.

Has the attorney been disciplined by the State Bar?  You can research information on attorneys on the State Bar’s website here or on Avvo.

What do former clients have to say?  You can research client reviews on Avvo and Google.

DON’T HIRE A TV LAWYER OR A LAWYER THAT CONTACTS YOU AFTER AN ACCIDENT

There are TV lawyers and there are trial lawyers.  Which do you want handling your case?

Most – but not all – attorneys that advertise are not the best attorneys out there.  While they may be fine for small and uncomplicated cases, they’re not capable of handling serious cases where there’s a lot on the line.  In fact, when TV lawyers get a serious and complicated case they often refer the case to a real trial attorney in exchange for a share of the attorney’s fee.

People who are involved in accidents are sometimes contacted by attorneys or “representatives” of attorneys promising them lots of money for their injury.  This is illegal and unethical and attorneys that do this are the bottom feeders of our profession.  If you get a call out of the blue from a lawyer after an accident, run the other way.  Be wary of people who contact you and claim they work with a lawyer who can get you a settlement – those people are called “runners” and that’s illegal too.

MAKE SURE THE ATTORNEY HAS EXPERIENCE HANDLING YOUR TYPE OF CASE

When you have a heart problem, you see a cardiologist.  When you have a broken leg, you see an orthopedic surgeon.  Why should it be any different hiring a personal injury attorney?  Shouldn’t the attorney specialize in your sort of case?

While just about any attorney can handle a car accident case, injuries from tractor-trailer accidents, slip and falls or trip and falls, dangerous or defective products, medical malpractice and nursing home abuse require special expertise.  Ask the attorney about their experience with these types of cases.

Be sure to ask the attorney about their results in cases similar to yours.  While every case is different, you can get a good idea of the caliber of the attorney by the results they’ve obtained for former clients.

ASK WHO WILL BE WORKING ON YOUR CASE

Ask questions about which attorneys and support staff at the firm will be working on your case.

Will the senior partners at the firm be working on your case or delegating it to a junior associate?  You’re hiring a firm for their experience and skill and you want to make sure that the most experienced attorneys at the firm will be handling your case.  While it’s normal for attorneys with less experience to work on your case, make sure that the senior attorneys will be handling the important hearings and depositions and leading the way at trial.

Does the law firm you’re considering use “case managers”?  This is code for “an attorney will not be working on your case.”  While every attorney has support staff that works on your case, law firms that use case managers are usually mills that handle hundreds or thousands of cases every year.

You can tell a lot about a law firm by who you speak with during your first phone call or meet with during your initial interview.  If an attorney won’t bother to talk or meet with you when you’re considering hiring the firm, you’re not going to be hearing from them much about your case.

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CASE REVIEW

706.354.1000 Available 24/7

"*" indicates required fields

100% Secure & Confidential