When you need a personal injury or medical malpractice lawyer.

If you have been the victim of medical malpractice or if you have been injured through no fault of your own you may want to contact an attorney.

How do you find the best personal injury lawyers to hire for your case? Certainly, there are many ways to find a good lawyer online. You can search in online directories where information is available about personal injury lawyers at their websites. Your state’s bar association website will also have a referral service that can put you in touch with a good personal injury lawyer in your area.

Nowadays, getting legal assistance and representation are so costly that many are finding other ways to look for cheap and sometimes "free" legal advice. The Internet is filled with online sources and legal websites that offer detailed analysis of situations most often for free, or sometimes for a minimal fee. Many of them even entertain legal queries.

Nothing beats advice coming from a reputable and knowledgeable lawyer. Here are some ways to help you find a good, experienced personal injury lawyer, whom you feel you can trust:

You can get referrals from (1) friends and acquaintances, (2) other lawyers, and (3) online referral services. Talk with friends or acquaintances who have been represented by a lawyer in their own cases. If they have nothing but good things to say about a lawyer, put him/her on the list. Discuss your case with that lawyer and decide if you feel that you will be comfortable working with him or her.

Other lawyers you know would also be able to make referrals of other lawyers. They usually confer cases with one another so most of them may know someone who can handle your case.

As with all referrals, discussing your case with each of the lawyers will help you determine the best representation that could handle your personal injury claim. Gather all pertinent documents from the police report, to medical bills and correspondences with the insurance company. Most lawyers do not charge for an initial consultation. Nevertheless, there still those who already want to charge for discussing whether or not he or she will take the case. When this happens, it's time for you to go look somewhere else.

You need to know a few basic things about your potential lawyer. These include: (1) How long has the lawyer been in practice; (2) What percentage of the practice involve personal injury claims; (3) Does the lawyer practice as a plaintiffs' or defendants' representative; and (4) Would he or she personally handle your case. If not, then find out who would be dealing with you directly, and ask to meet that lawyer. It's not uncommon for more than one lawyer in a firm to handle the same case. Often, less experienced attorneys handle routine tasks.

6 Very Important Questions

Choosing the right personal injury attorney is not difficult if you know the right questions to ask. Call or email 3-5 attorneys and ask them to answer the following questions:

1. How many personal injury cases have you tried in front of juries?

2. What kind of experts have you hired for your clients?

3. What % of your income comes from personal injury cases?

4. Have you handled cases similar to my injury? How many and with what results?

5. Are you willing to advance expenses of litigation?

6. Are you a member of any attorney organizations that primarily help injury victims?

The answers to these questions should give you a good idea if the attorney is an experienced and succesful personal injury attorney.

You want an attorney who is willing to and has gone to trial. Insurance companies know who is willing to go to trial. Attorneys that have not tried jury cases are not likely to command the respect to get you a fair offer.

If the attorney is not willing to advance expenses then you will be stuck advancing them yourself and you may not be in a position to do so. If that is the case then your case will have to be settled, likely cheaply.

After discussing the facts on your case, it's time to move on to how much he or she thinks your case is worth. In addition, ask your potential lawyer how difficult he or she thinks it may be to get the insurance company to pay the amount. This is the time to let your lawyer know what it is you want him or her to do for you.

In the end, getting your lawyer to represent you depends on your needs and wants. Obtaining advice and representation from a licensed, practicing lawyer is still the most reliable means when you're facing a particularly serious or complicated injury claim. As in any other regular hiring process, just remember to interview first before you decide. If you feel confident with a lawyer's experience and his ability to handle your case, chances are you found the best lawyer for you.