You or a member of your family has suffered an injury while under the care of a hospital, a physician, or in an accident and decide you need an attorney.
Are we the attorneys for you? Maybe and maybe not.
How do you go about finding out?
STEP 1. CONSIDER THE REASONS WHY YOU FEEL YOU NEED AN ATTORNEY
Today attorneys are generally as specialized as physicians. We have never drafted a will or done a closing on a house. We have hired attorneys ourselves to do such work. We do know personal injury, medical malpractice and products liability and have extensive experience in those areas of the law.
STEP 2. REVIEW THE ATTORNEYS WEB SITE
What information does the site provide? A good attorney will tell you when it is not within his/her area of expertise and refer you to an appropriate specialist. Unfortunately, some attorneys will want your matter even if they do not have the experience. Be cautious. Just because a web site gives an indication that they can handle a matter does not mean that the attorney has the necessary experience.
For example, a web site may say that the attorneys will handle a medical malpractice claim. However, there is a big difference between handling a neurosurgical claim, versus a birth claim versus an infection. Medicine is specialized and your attorney should have experience in that field of medicine. If you have an auto case, does your attorney understand the mechanics of an accident and know how to properly prepare and present your medical claim?
STEP 3. PREPARE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WILL ASK THE ATTORNEY
One question frequently asked by potential clients is: “What is my claim worth?” This question is often asked before any other question once the attorney has been given the basic facts. That is appropriate, but an unfair question. An attorney answering that question tends to grossly inflate the value and, more often than not, the value is not there when the case is resolved. If the attorney is willing to take on your matter, then it should have sufficient value.
Ask how will the claim be handled? Who is going to be working on the claim and what is the experience of that individual? What is the time frame that can be expected until there may be a resolution.
Be careful. If you respond to a telephone number on the television, before you sign any document you need to know exactly who will be working on your matter.
Your claim is yours and yours alone and should be handled in that way.
