How to Sue Someone in NYC

Once you decide to file a lawsuit, the most important step is to find an experienced lawyer who can give you the best chance at success. If you’ve never dealt with the legal system before, this can seem like a daunting task. When choosing a lawyer, consider the following:

Ask For Referrals

One of the best ways to find a qualified lawyer is to ask friends and family for referrals. Does anyone you trust have experience with a lawyer who helped them with a similar issue? Do your friends have any colleagues who are attorneys that they could ask for referrals? If you have a friend or family member that used a lawyer in the past, make sure their experience is relevant. For example, if your friend used a fantastic lawyer who specialized in criminal law and you need to file a medical malpractice case, this is probably not the lawyer for you. Your friend could ask this trusted lawyer for a medical malpractice referral, though. This way, you have some personal connection to the attorney instead of just choosing someone you know nothing about. 

Search Online and Check Reviews

If you don’t have any friends or family members that can give you a referral, the best way to find a lawyer is online. You can search for lawyers in your area that specialize in your particular issue. Go through their websites and make a list of some of the lawyers you think could be a good fit. After you’ve made this short list, you should Google them and look for reviews of each lawyer. If one of them has several negative reviews, you probably want to keep looking. Keep in mind that some lawyers have friends and family members post reviews for them, so they can’t always be taken at face value. If there are a significant number of reviews, though, it’s likely that many of them are genuine, and you can get a good idea of what that lawyer is like and how past clients feel about them. 

Choose Someone Local

When choosing a lawyer, it’s important to choose someone local. Many people overlook this factor as they don’t realize the importance of this. When you hire a local lawyer, you can be certain that they’re familiar with all the state and city procedures in the courtroom. Additionally, local lawyers typically get to know and build relationships with judges and other attorneys. This can help with negotiations; if you choose a local lawyer with a good reputation and a high success rate, the other party will take you seriously and might be more willing to settle the case for a fair amount.  

Experience With Your Particular Issue

Another crucial factor you should consider is experience with the issue you’re facing. If you find a lawyer that has 20 years of experience but has never handled your type of case, their experience won’t do you much good. If you need to file a medical malpractice claim, make sure you hire someone who has been handling medical malpractice cases for a significant period of time. 

For all civil lawsuits, you must file your claim within a certain deadline. This deadline is known as the statute of limitations. If you fail to file your claim by this date, you will lose out on the ability to recover any monetary compensation through a civil lawsuit. 

In New York, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is 3 years from the date of the incident. There are exceptions to this deadline in some circumstances. It’s always important to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible so you make sure you don’t miss your deadline. While 3 years can sound like a long time, the sooner you file your case, the easier it is to obtain evidence and prepare your claim. 

An important note is that medical malpractice claims have different statutes of limitations. In New York, you must file this type of claim within 2.5 years from the date of the incident. Again, there are exceptions that could alter this deadline, so it’s always a good idea to talk to a lawyer right away. 

The cost of an attorney varies depending on where you’re located and what type of case you are filing. For personal injury or medical malpractice cases, for example, you may not have to pay anything upfront. Most attorneys who handle these types of cases work on a contingency fee basis. This means that they don’t get paid unless they win or settle your case; their payment is contingent upon the success of your claim. This allows all people to have competent legal representation, regardless of their financial situation. There is no financial risk to you in filing a claim, and since the attorney only gets paid if they win, you can be certain that if an attorney takes your case, they believe you have a good chance of success. 

In other types of cases, you might pay an attorney a flat rate or an hourly fee. This is something you should always discuss with a potential lawyer before hiring them or signing anything. 

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting experience, especially if you’ve never had to do it before. The legal system is complex, and if you don’t follow the rules to the letter, you could end up losing out on your chance to file a claim. Morgan & Morgan has been handling all types of civil claims for decades. We do all the hard work so you can focus on the emotional aspect of the case and get back to your day-to-day life. We have a team of lawyers and other professionals that will prepare your case from start to finish. Someone is always available to speak with you about your case and answer any questions you might have. If you are thinking about filing any type of civil claim, contact Morgan & Morgan today to set up a free consultation.