If you or somebody you care about has been injured due to the careless or negligent actions of somebody else, there is a good chance you will be able to recover compensation for your losses. However, doing so may require assistance from a skilled personal injury attorney who will have your back throughout the entire legal process. Choosing the right personal injury attorney for your case may seem daunting. There are certainly many attorneys in our area to choose from, so what should you rely on to determine whether or not an attorney is “good?” Should you use client reviews or Google reviews when choosing a personal injury lawyer?
Client reviews and Google reviews
Using client reviews and Google reviews can be a good place for you to start when looking for an attorney. However, you need to be cautious when doing so.
By now, most people understand that they cannot believe everything they read on the internet. In particular, you to be aware that when you stumble onto a person’s website, any displayed reviews you find there are going to have been personally screened. An attorney is not going to put up a bad review on their own website.
However, when you turn to reviews on Google, Facebook, or other sources that are not part of an attorney’s website, you can be fairly certain that you are getting a more unbiased review of the attorney. Take some time and read through reviews that are not part of the attorney’s website.
That said, you should not rely solely on reviews when making your choice for a personal injury attorney.
What else should you use to choose a personal injury lawyer?
One of your first stops when you think you may have found an attorney you want to work with is your state’s Bar Association website. When you go there, you will be able to find information about:
- The year the attorney who was first licensed
- Whether or not their license has ever been suspended or revoked
- What law school they attended
- Any information about whether or not they have been sued for legal malpractice
Additionally, one of the best ways to find attorneys is to ask family and friends about whether or not they have worked with an attorney before. Word of mouth referrals are going to be more trustworthy than what you see online.
When you narrow your choice down to a few possible personal injury attorneys to work with, the rest of the work is up to you. Schedule a free consultation with a few personal injury attorneys so you can get a feel of how well you will work together with the attorney. You need to be comfortable with the attorney you eventually choose because this person is going to get to know intimate details about your life while they work on your case. Additionally, you should ask an attorney pertinent questions, including:
- Whether they have worked on cases like yours before
- Their track record of success with similar cases
- Whether the attorney will be handling your case or if they will hand it off to a paralegal or junior associate
- Whether they are willing to take your case to trial if necessary
Start your search with client and Google reviews, but make sure that your final choice is made after obtaining as much information as necessary for you to be comfortable with the attorney.