Tips for Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer in Utah

Whether you were bitten by someone’s pet or slipped and fell at a business, or were in an auto accident, you may be able to receive compensation for the injuries sustained. As long as you can prove that your injuries were caused due to someone else’s negligence, you can file a personal injury claim in keeping with Utah legal requirements.

Having the right legal team on your side can mean the difference between receiving a just or an unfair outcome in your case. When dealing with your personal injury case, it is a good idea to hire a lawyer specializing in this field, so you can focus on your health and recovery.

The question, however, is: how do you know that you’re engaging the right personal injury lawyer? This is a crucial decision and you don’t want to go wrong if you’re serious about receiving fair compensation that helps you pay your medical and other bills.

Factors to Consider When Hiring Personal Injury Attorney

Here are a few factors to consider to ensure you hire the right one.

1. Accessibility

One of the most important factors to consider in your Utah personal injury lawyer selection is accessibility. Lawyers are extremely busy professionals, but that’s no excuse to not give your case the attention it deserves.

At the end of the day, you want to feel supported by your attorney, and not feel left out because they rarely have time to discuss your case.

Avoid any lawyer who you think isn’t easy to reach or communicate with. During your initial consultation, ask them about how much time they will dedicate to your case. Also, ask about how long they usually take to revert to their clients via email and/or call.

2. Specialization

If your case involves a personal injury, you should choose an attorney from a personal injury law firm in Utah. It is crucial to engage a lawyer who has specialized in personal injury law as they will know about all the applicable statutes and the most effective defenses. This can mean the difference between winning and losing your claim.

Apart from finding out how long they’ve been handling personal injury cases, you should ask about the specific types of cases and claims they usually deal with.

If, for instance, you’re filing a personal injury claim against your employer, you may not get the kind of assistance you need if you hire an attorney who usually handles slip-and-fall accident cases.

Ask your prospective Utah personal injury lawyer about their past performance to better gauge their expertise and specialty, and ascertain whether or not they are right for your case.

3. Fees and Costs

Before finalizing your personal injury lawyer, make sure to clearly discuss their fee structure, billing cycle, and payment of costs. This step is crucial to avoid unpleasant surprises later on.

You should know how much you will owe the attorney on average and how the fees are to be paid.

You should also know that fees and costs are two different things. In personal injury cases, costs may include deposition fees, expert witness fees, court fees, document request fees, travel expenses, and copy and postage charges.

Make sure to clarify the payment of costs with your Utah personal injury lawyer. If their fees don’t include these costs, you could owe them a substantial amount of money even though you receive nothing from your claim.

4. Track Record Inside and Outside the Courtroom

Ask the prospective lawyers about their experience inside and outside the courtroom.

Typically, personal injury lawyers are aggressive negotiators and meticulous trial attorneys. Having said that, most personal injury claims settle out of court. Hence, you should make sure to engage someone with strong negotiation skills.

Sometimes, however, the party responsible for the victim’s injuries may not be willing to pay fair compensation. In such cases, you may have to go to court for a trial. You, therefore, also need a lawyer with a proven track record of winning in the courtroom.

During your initial consultation with the lawyer, ask them about the number of cases they have settled and the ones that have gone to trial. Enquire about the recovery amount as well.

5. Communication Skills

It is critical that your personal injury lawyer can provide you with information in a way that you understand. However, the communication should flow both ways, i.e., they should be willing to listen to your story as well. If a prospective lawyer guarantees to get you millions of dollars in compensation without even hearing you out first, you need to skip them.

Attorneys who pay attention to the details of your case and sufficiently address your queries demonstrate effective listening, reasoning, and analytical skills.

These skills can be especially beneficial when the lawyer questions witnesses and conducts depositions. The attorney will instinctively hear the entire response, and based on that, ask further questions that can lead to incriminating evidence that supports your claim.

You should ask the lawyer about how they communicate with their clients. Enquire about the frequency and mode(s) of their communication/updates, and if you can touch base with them for any other related concerns.

6. Industry Reputation

When it comes to truly skilled lawyers, their reputation often precedes them. This is because they have already dealt with several insurance companies and other attorneys inside as well as outside courts.

Their name carries an added value not only from the victim’s standpoint but also from the responsible party’s and court’s perspective. The reputation of Utah’s personal injury attorney you hire can give you a head start and put you in a strong position to establish your claim.

In other words, a personal injury lawyer with a solid reputation can help you resolve your case faster and fairly.

7. References

Most attorneys will claim to be the best out there, but you need to verify their claim before making your decision. One of the best ways of doing so is by asking your intended Utah personal injury lawyer to provide you with references from their previous and current clients.

Talk to a couple of the clients and find out how the attorney helped them. Ask them about their overall experience with the lawyer – what they did and did not like about them. Gather as many details as you can to gain a clearer picture.

Remember, attorneys who are confident in their practice will never hesitate to provide client references and endorsements.

Conclusion

Sustaining a personal injury due to someone else’s negligence can leave you emotionally and financially drained. It is prudent to work with an experienced attorney, who will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve for your physical and mental anguish. Choosing such a lawyer, however, is easier said than done because there is a plethora of them available. Hopefully, the above pointers will guide you to make the right choice. Book your free consultation today!