subject: Factors In Choosing A Personal Injury Attorney [print this page] Picking a personal injury attorney is an important decision, as it affects the size of your settlement from the insurance company and helps keep you from having to deal with the issues involved in the legal case. But those who have been in a major accident are usually in pain and having multiple doctors' visits and uninterested in making another decision. By taking just a little bit of time and researching the attorneys you're considering, you can make sure you choose the best personal injury attorney in Seattle for you.
First, make sure the attorney you've chosen is local to Seattle. The laws governing personal injury vary from place to place and if you've chosen an attorney from another location, no matter how good they are they will be ineffective because they are unfamiliar with the particular laws and practices of Seattle.
Legal cases can be expensive. Fortunately, many personal injury attorneys take their fee from the final settlement you receive and do not require the standard up front payment. However, nothing is universal in life, and it's important to check and be sure because if you're not prepared, being presented with a large retainer fee can be distressing.
The actual fee itself is usually a percentage of the settlement and the percentage amount that the attorney takes varies from attorney to attorney, so you'll want to try and find out what each attorney you're considering charges so you can get an idea as to how much of your settlement will go to attorney's fees.
You'll also want to consider the reputation of the attorney you're hiring. Is he known to be a tough negotiator that gets big settlements? Is he a pushover, who allows the insurance company to dictate his client's settlements? What about ethics? Does your attorney have a reputation as an honest person, or are they considered to be dishonest?
The kind of cases the attorney normally handles is also important. There are lots of different kinds of personal injury cases and finding an attorney who specializes in your specific case type will likely produce better results than an attorney who doesn't normally handle that kind of personal injury case.
You also need to find an attorney that you can trust. This is the person who is responsible for the size and scope of your settlement and you need to be sure that your case is a priority in their life and that you are being treated well. You will also need to be willing to tell them everything that can relate to your case, which sometimes might be hard to do.
Finding a personal injury attorney in Seattle can seem difficult when you're in pain and trying to recuperate from an accident, but you can find the best attorney for your situation by taking a little time and effort to research the various attorneys you are considering.
