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Atlanta Injury Lawyer:  The Top 7 Questions You MUST Ask Before Actually Hiring Your Lawyer

“If you ignore even one of these critical factors, you may hire the wrong person to represent you and regret it later!”            Lisa Blackstone, Attorney.

1.   Be sure the attorney specializes in INJURY cases. People sometimes make the mistake of assuming that someone with a law degree can represent them for almost any legal need.  Not so!

The days of the “general practitioner” are over!  The law has evolved into some very highly specialized fields.  When it comes to YOUR injury, be sure your attorney is a specialist in personal injury cases.

2.  Be sure the attorney has a history of TRIAL experience, not just negotiating settlements. There are plenty of attorneys who can make a few phone calls and represent your interests with opposing counsel or the insurance company involved.  However, far fewer have actual trial experience, selecting a jury, making opening and closing arguments, cross examining witnesses…..these are skills that only a few possess.   You want to be prepared to go to trial if necessary.  You would not want to change horses in the middle of the race because your Atlanta injury lawyer doesn’t go to trial!

3.  Your Atlanta injury lawyer should have a good track record at trial. It’s one thing to go to trial.  It’s another to win consistently!  If your Atlanta injury lawyer wins verdicts for clients it points to a couple of things.

One, he or she is good at selecting winning cases.  In other words, good lawyers will evaluate the facts of a case and evaluate the likelihood of prevailing.  If the facts are not on your side, even a highly talented lawyer can’t win!  If your case is accepted, this lawyer believes in YOUR case.

Also, a good track record indicates this lawyer has trial skills.  An injury lawyer who lacks the necessary trial skills can botch even a good case!   Bottom line is a good track record indicates both good judgment and good trial skills.

4.  Your lawyer should be knowledgeable about YOUR kind of case. Personal injury cases are not all alike.  Some require very specialized knowledge.  For example, a case involving brain damage which requires the testimony of expert witnesses and the introduction of complicated medical issues is far different from a case in which someone is
bitten by a dog.

Clearly, the more familiar your Atlanta injury lawyer is with YOUR type of case, the more competent he or she will be.  You don’t want to waste time while your attorney is getting up to speed on the central issue of your case.

5.  Your lawyer should also be a good listener to YOUR case. Even though you want a lawyer familiar with your type of case, each case is factually different.  You want your lawyer to recognize that and not just categorize your case in with others.  It is often one fact that shifts a case from being tenuous to being highly favorable.  Details are very important and your lawyer needs to be interested in every aspect of your specific case elements.

6.  Your lawyer should be well respected in the legal community. Lawyers who select cases carefully, exhibit proper and skillful behavior in court and have a good track record at trial will enjoy a stellar reputation in the legal community.  It is a reasonable assumption that this lawyer will perform similarly in the future, as he or she has performed in the past.

This assumption will work in your favor when your lawyer is negotiating with the insurance company or entering a trial.  Judges appreciate professionalism from attorneys.  Even if it is only a subliminal affect, having a lawyer with a good reputation for honesty and fair dealing will work to your benefit if you go to trial.

7.  Finally, your Atlanta injury lawyer should be available to you. Often, clients are quickly handed over to a junior associate who is being mentored and still in a learning mode.  Good lawyers are very busy, indeed.  However, you deserve to deal with the person you hired as often as possible.

Some clients abuse their relationship with their attorney, especially with contingency cases when they are not being billed by the hour.  Be sure you have an understanding about reasonable expectations regarding communications between you.

If you follow these guidelines, you will be happy with the Atlanta injury lawyer you select.  It’s one of the most important decisions you will make!  Interview several attorneys to discover how they rank in light of these 7 factors.

Good luck!

Lisa Blackstone