If you are injured in an accident or by any other means and its not your fault, you need to talk with a personal injury attorney.
However, before you do, get all of the pertinent medical records such as MRIs, other X-Ray, Lab Reports, the doctor’s statement, and those statements of any specialist you have seen.
Gather any police reports, the names and addresses of witnesses, and pictures of the area where the injury occurred, including pictures of the cars if the accident was caused by cars. While you are doing this don’t make any statements that could place blame on you. A Personal Injury Attorney in Lafayette may want to collect the documents.
Now, you can contact a personal injury attorney. Personal injury attorneys are the most important people when you have been seriously hurt and have lost wages and are paying high medical bills.
Selecting a personal injury attorney is always a question. The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Ratings are a source for finding a competent personal injury attorney. Their peer review system rates attorneys on;
Legal Knowledge
Analytical Capabilities
Judgment
Communication Ability
Legal Experience
The Martindale Hubbell client review system provides clients with an opportunity to rate the personal injury law services they have bought.
These references are generally available in larger libraries, and occasionally online. However, don’t stop here. Ask friends, your pastor, neighbors, and any police who you consider to be a friend. If you find a name that comes up often, then this might be the person to talk with first. If you are not comfortable, keep looking until you are. Your comfort level will tell you a lot about the attorney.
It is helpful to ask the attorney some questions. Ask how many personal injury cases they have handled and what was the percentage of cases where they won money? Don’t hesitate to ask how many such cases they have handled. Learn everything you can that will help you make a good decision.
A personal injury attorney usually works on a contingency fee plus expenses. For example if the attorney settles the case without going to court, the he will likely charge 33 1/3 percent of the settlement. If he has to go to court, he will likely take 50 percent because of the added work involved in a trial.
