Do I need to hire a personal injury lawyer for my car accident?
Yes, if you want to get the most money the insurance company will pay to resolve your personal injury claim. If you’re willing to accept whatever the insurance company offers for a settlement, don’t hire a personal injury lawyer. The truth is that a good personal injury lawyer can maximize your recovery from the car insurance company. You may ask, “How can a good personal injury lawyer help me in my car accident claim?” I answer this question below as there are several reasons.
The first reason a good lawyer can help you maximize your personal injury claim recovery is because he or she has specialized training in the law. Lawyers are doctors. No, not medical doctors, but have earned a doctoral degree in law. Juris Doctorate, or JD, actually means “teacher of the law.” In other words, lawyers are doctors of the law. Becoming a lawyer is a challenging commitment – in both time and money. Therefore, a person who becomes a lawyer has a strong desire to help teach people about the law, like you or the insurance company, concerning your personal injury claim.
Are all personal injury lawyers the same? Absolutely not. If you are going to hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you in your car accident claim, medical malpractice claim, or other personal injury claim, hire a good one.
How do I know when I’ve found a good personal injury lawyer?
There are three major attributes to look for that will help you identify when you have found a good personal injury lawyer: Experience, Client Service, and Compassion. Let’s take a deeper dive into each one of these attributes and let me explain what they each mean and why each one helps you identify a good personal injury lawyer.
Experience. Experience matters. Don’t be fooled, however, by someone who claims that they have been practicing law for 30 years and therefore have experience to help you in your personal injury claim. A lawyer who handles a few personal injury claims each year for thirty years is not as experienced as the attorney who has been practicing for more than a decade and has handled over 200 personal injury claims.
How can you tell if a lawyer has sufficient experience handling personal injury claims? Take a look at their client feedback, peer recognition, presentations and publications. Some hints that a lawyer has the experience necessary to adequately represent you in a car accident claim, medical malpractice claim or dog bite claim include the following: (1) a lawyer who has taught other lawyers on issues related to personal injury, trial advocacy, trial skills and trial presentation; (2) a lawyer who has written publications on issues concerning personal injury matters or who has testified in the legislature against laws that harm the public’s access to justice; (3) a lawyer who has been recognized by his or her peers as a Best Lawyer® or SuperLawyer® in Plaintiff’s Personal Injury; and, (4) a lawyer who has received positive feedback from clients about the manner in which he or she handled their personal injury claim. If a lawyer satisfies this checklist then he or she has the requisite experience to pursue your personal injury claim with confidence. Of course, always make sure the personal injury lawyer has actual trial experience.
Client Service. A good personal injury lawyer understands that he or she exists to serve you. This is “client service.” It’s not just the attorney involved here, but the entire law firm that should be invested to provide quality client service. Two hallmarks of proper client service include responsiveness and clear communication.
Responsiveness doesn’t equate to instantaneous communication. But barring trial or vacation, you should expect to hear back from your lawyer or their paralegal within 24 hours of sending him or her an email or leaving a voicemail, even if it’s your lawyer or their paralegal telling you that they received the message but need more time to fully respond.
Clear communication is also a key component of quality client service. A law firm should provide you with copies of information requests sent out on your behalf. You should receive copies of paperwork that the law firm receives on your behalf. The law firm should be checking in with you periodically to determine the status of your medical treatment. The lawyer will not be able to teach you all that he or she learned in 3600 hours of law school training and thousands of hours of actual experience, but you should receive at least a general summary of the progression of your personal injury claim and expectations of the process. Each of your questions should be answered to your satisfaction.
Compassion. Does your lawyer show you sympathy? Does the lawyer and their staff express concern about your injuries and suffering? If not, you may want to choose a lawyer who has compassion for you. You’ll know if compassion exists during your first phone call with the lawyer, I promise.
In your search, is it possible to have found more than one good personal injury lawyer? Yes. As the past president of the New Hampshire Association for Justice, essentially the plaintiff’s personal injury bar association, I have had the privilege of becoming great friends with many good personal injury lawyers. So how do you make a decision among a couple of good personal injury lawyers?
Well, once you’ve narrowed down your search by finding a lawyer who possesses the three attributes of experience, client service, and compassion, then consider style and connection and find answers to a few more questions during your hunt for a good personal injury lawyer. Do you like how the lawyer spoke to you on the phone, his or her office set-up, their support team, and their commitment to community service and endeavors that positively impact others? Did the lawyer graduate with honors? Typically, graduating magna cum laude from a law school means that the student graduated in the top 7% of the class. Do they have a statewide practice or is it restricted to one geographic area?
Here at Nicholson Law Firm, we are confident that you will be satisfied that Attorney Neil Nicholson and his team hit all the marks in your search for a good personal injury lawyer. Attorney Nicholson became a lawyer to help you recover as much money as possible from the insurance company to compensate you for your damages and strives each day to exceed your expectations with client service.
Nicholson Law Firm has a long history of supporting our clients who are victims of negligence – whether in a car accident, truck accident, boat accident, ATV accident, motorcycle accident, medical malpractice, construction accident, and dangerous or defective property. Based on your free case evaluation, we will seek the compensation you deserve. Recoverable damages include medical costs, lost wages, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, physical impairment, disfigurement, permanent injury, physical pain, property damage, and other suffering. Our trusted and experienced legal team will be with you every step of the way.
If you’ve been injured, it is important to call Nicholson Law Firm today at 888-222-0423 or email now at contact@nicholson-lawfirm.com for a free case evaluation. We will pursue insurers to seek the compensation you deserve.
At Nicholson Law Firm we take the time to explain the law. We are your personal injury lawyers. We handle claims throughout New Hampshire, including all areas surrounding Concord, Manchester, Portsmouth, Nashua, Merrimack, Dover, Laconia, Derry, Londonderry, Exeter, Berlin, Rochester, Hampton, Durham, Hudson, Bow, Loudon, Salem, Epping, Peterborough, Goffstown, Amherst, Hooksett, Plaistow, Hampton, Seabrook, Plymouth, Wolfeboro, Keene, Hanover, Lebanon, Claremont, and all cities and towns in between. We also serve clients in Massachusetts and Vermont. Contact us today for a free consultation.