Except in some rare scenarios, handling your personal injury claim without an attorney’s help will be almost like making a suicidal attempt that will result in harassment, loss of time and money and rebound with a big zero. If you have sustained a minor injury, you can deal with the wrongdoer’s insurance company on your own. But if you are left with a serious injury due to someone else’s fault and the at-fault party is very argumentative from the very beginning, you should leave the task of dealing with the injury case and claim to a Ventura, CA injury lawyer.
But turning to any lawyer will do no good. You should put the case in the hands of only a skilled and personal injury attorney.
Finding Competent & Experienced Attorneys
There are many ways to get reliable referrals to competent and experienced personal injury lawyers in your locality, city, and state. Once you get a list of names, make sure to check and compare. Meet each of the shortlisted lawyers, talk to them and discuss your situation. All these will help you make a decision about whom to work with. Many personal injury attorneys reject cases if these don’t meet a particular potential recovery sum or if the claim lacks clarity.
Where to Look for Referrals
Your first stop should be at the doors of friends, family members, and acquaintances. If any of them has ever been successfully represented by a personal injury attorney or knows someone from a close quarter, you will get a reference to rely on.
If any of your close acquaintances recommend a lawyer for good things, put his name on the list of lawyers to meet in person. Recommendation should be one of the guidelines but not the sole guideline to influence your decision. It is most likely that different people have different opinions about an attorney’s personality, philosophy, and style of work. Therefore, never make a decision before a face-to-face meeting with the lawyer.
Discuss your injury and claim in detail, listen to what he has to say and then decide if you see a brutally honest and extremely competent personality in him as well as feel comfortable working with the man.
Other Attorneys
Another trusted way to seek a referral is to talk to other lawyers you know well. Lawyers, like people from other professions, have a wider network. It is most likely that they know some good personal injury lawyers. But as with referrals from your close acquaintances, you should not make up your mind before meeting the lawyer and holding a discussion.
Referral Services
Referral services, offered by most local bar associations, make a list of available lawyers categorized according to their legal specialty. However, quality disparity may be alarming even if it comes to lawyer referral services.
Choose the Best Personal Injury Attorney
To figure out if a particular lawyer is good for you, it is important to spend time with the person in his office to discuss the matter and listen to his suggestion about what plan he has to successfully handle the case. Most attorneys charge nothing for an initial consultation. However, you should make sure if the lawyer charges anything for the first interview before meeting him in person.