If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident, hiring a Kirkland car accident lawyer can help ensure you get fair compensation for the injuries you suffered. Trying to negotiate on your own without an attorney will not end well for you. Auto insurance companies will offer lower (or no) financial compensation if they know you don’t have an attorney to protect you. But how do you choose the right lawyer for you?
Finding a Lawyer
You can ask friends, co-workers and acquaintances, but unless they have first-hand experience in dealing with the attorney they are recommending, their referral may be worthless. If you see a lawyer on a TV ad holding a giant check, you may be tempted to call them. What you may not notice is the fine print that says “results not typical.”
This means they likely won’t be scoring a big check for you. Instead, check out Kirkland car accident lawyer profiles on both Avvo.com and Martindale.com to search for a lawyer. These are great resources and more reliable than TV ads or casual referrals to find a good advocate to represent you.
Evaluating a Lawyer
You want a lawyer who is highly rated by their peers, former clients and professional ratings services. Look for an attorney near you who is highly rated and has expertise in the specific area of your injury. Look for five star customer reviews from former clients and a 10 out of 10 “Superb” rating by Avvo.
When looking at attorneys on Martindale, look for a 5.0 peer rating and a ranking of AV preeminent. Only consider hiring an attorney who has the best reviews and ratings.
Client reviews are especially important because this gives you a glimpse of how they will treat you, how they’ll communicate with you and how well they will handle your car accident claim. By the same token, a lawyer who is badly reviewed will likely not perform well for you and not get you a fair settlement.
Consulting with a Lawyer
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices for a Kirkland car accident
lawyer, you’re ready to schedule an initial consultation. Consultations
should always be free and any agreement to take your case should be on
a contingency basis which means you don’t pay any lawyer’s
fees unless and until your car accident claim has been settled.
During the initial consultation, pay attention to how well the attorney listens to you and whether they seem like they’re taking your case seriously. If they take phone calls, send emails or texts when they should be focused on the details of your car accident, that’s not a good sign. But if the lawyer listens closely, expresses an understanding of the merits of your case, pledges to work hard for you and demonstrates a track record of wins in similar cases, you may have found the right lawyer for you.