7 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury lawyer is a necessity when one is faced with a personal injury case. A good and experienced personal attorney can make a huge difference to the outcome of your case. There are numerous lawyers who claim to be the best in handling personal injury cases in Singapore. As such knowing whether or not you are dealing with the right person can be an uphill task. Below are 7 mistakes to avoid when hiring a personal injury lawyer.

1. Not considering specialization
Generally there many areas of specialization for lawyers. Hiring one who specifically focuses on personal injury cases gives you higher chances of getting the desired compensation. A lawyer who specializes in personal injury law has built credibility with judges, insurance adjusters and lawyers. They also know how to source for expert witnesses.

2. Hiring an inexperienced attorney
Finding an attorney who specializes in personal injury law is not enough, it is also important to consider the amount of experience they possess in that particular field. It is not an offense to hire a recently appointed attorney but remember they are still just learning and might not handle your case as well as you would wish. Experienced personal injury lawyers know how to negotiate and prove your case in a court of law. Experienced lawyers know the “ins and outs” of the field. This vast experience in dealing with cases involving car accidents means that the attorney will be able to take the right course of action as far as your case concerned. In order to know the level of experience and expertise of a lawyer just review his track record. Confirm the outcome of the cases he has previously handled.

3. Failing to talk to many attorneys
Some Singapore residents tend to rely only on friends and relatives when hiring personal injury attorneys. As much as that lawyer might have served your referee well, he/she might not be your best pick based on the circumstances surrounding your case. As such it is important to engage and consult multiple car accident lawyers. Conduct extensive research and settle for a lawyer whom you feel has the right set of skills, experience and resources required to handle your case. Remember you are up against insurance companies who have experienced attorneys, adjusters and investigators working for them.

4. Hiring based on the price
When talking of price, most people will tend to go for cheap lawyers. Keep in mind the common cliché, “cheap is expensive”. In order to know whether the price quoted by an attorney is genuine, get quotations from at least three lawyers. This is because extremely cheap prices can be just a bait to invite you into the nest of an inexperienced lawyer. If this happens then the chances of you getting the right compensation become slimmer. A cheap lawyer will help you less due to lack of staff support, resources and time to focus on your case.

A lawyer who charges you the required contingency fees definitely has confidence in their level of experience. He/she also has the enough support staff to assist in handling issues involving insurance adjustors. In addition they handle everything as far as your personal injury case is concerned. This therefore gives you time to focus on healing as you are convinced that all legal matters are being taken care of. It is also important that the quoted fees is what you end up paying. Ensure that there are no hidden costs, you should be aware of everything from the onset.


5. Hiring a lawyer who promises you a specific amount of compensation and guaranteed success
When it comes to personal injury cases, the outcomes can never be predicted. As such no lawyer should promise you an instant win with a huge amount of compensation. A good and reputable car accident lawyer should listen to your situation, understand it and then tell you the strengths and weaknesses of the case. A genuine lawyer will ensure you understand whether you have a chance of winning or losing big during trial.

The amount of compensation you are entitled to depends on numerous factors. These include, how long it takes you to recover, medical bills incurred, lost wages, the extent of injuries you suffered as well as the pain and suffering caused by the accident.
Note that, most personal injury cases will not make it to a court trial. However this should only be the case if the insurance company is willing to afford you a fair compensation, if not then your attorney should be ready to take them to court.

6. Hiring a lawyer you do not have good rapport with
The level of trust that exists between you and your attorney is very key in determining the success of your case. Your lawyer should be willing to listen to you and understand that you are the one employing him/her. There should be nothing shameful about you explaining your situation to your lawyer. All the concerns and worries you have about your case should be carefully listened to and addressed. The lawyer should ensure you are well informed about the entire legal process. The bottom-line is that you should find your lawyer likeable and be very comfortable with him/her.

7. Hiring an attorney who will later on transfer your case to someone else
The truth with most experienced and well reputable lawyers is that they are on high demand. As such you might just be shifted to another attorney. Get into a contract with your lawyer from the onset ensuring that he/she will handle your case from the beginning to the end. This does not only happen with reputable lawyers but also inexperienced lawyers. With inexperienced attorneys it gets to a point they can no longer deal with the complexities of your case and hence have to transfer it to another attorney.

Conclusion
Personal injury cases can be quite traumatizing and costly. This is because you are still nursing your injuries. However with the right attorney everything should be just fine. Take your time when hiring and do not be swayed by the hype of TV advertisements.