What Type of Lawyer Is Needed for Personal Injury?

Getting hurt in an avoidable accident can have disastrous consequences for your health, mental well-being, and finances. An experienced personal injury lawyer can
be crucial to help you get the compensation you deserve, especially when:

• The insurance company is denying or reducing your claim
• The other side argues that you are at fault for an accident
• You have severe injuries and significant damages, such as medical expenses and lost wages

However, knowing what type of lawyer is needed for personal injury can be crucial for your case. Hiring a tenacious lawyer from a law firm with a successful track record and proven results can be an excellent way to protect your rights.

Morgan & Morgan wants you to have the best chance of recovering what you need to put your life back together after experiencing a significant injury. Contact us today to learn about your legal options in a free case review.

What to Look for in a Personal Injury Attorney

Many personal injury attorneys may be willing to take your case. However, to give yourself the best chance of recovering compensation, look for a lawyer with appropriate experience, resources, and a successful track record. 

Reviews and Recommendations

The best personal injury lawyers and law firms often come with recommendations from friends, coworkers, and family. Checking out online reviews and client testimonials can be an excellent idea for determining how successful a personal injury lawyer is.  

Experience With Your Type of Claim

Personal injury law is a large field that encompasses many types of accidents and incidents, including car crashes, slips and falls, dog bites, medical malpractice, defective products, and many others. If you have a complex car accident claim, a medical malpractice attorney may not be the right person for you despite being willing to take the case. It is better to look for a specialized lawyer with years of experience handling cases like yours.

Professional Reputation

Before hiring an attorney, ensure their good standing to practice law in your state and find out about their reputation in the legal community. You will also want to know about a lawyer's disciplinary history. The bar association in your state should be able to help you determine your attorney’s good standing and disciplinary record, if any.

Clear Fee Structure

Ensure that you understand your lawyer’s payment structure. Many personal injury lawyers fight cases on a “no win, no fee” basis, also called a contingency agreement. With a contingency agreement, you do not have to pay attorney fees unless and until you win the case. However, some firms charge clients for legal expenses upfront. Moreover, you will also want to know what percentage of your final settlement or verdict will be deducted for attorney’s fees when you win.

Resources to Handle Complex and Lengthy Claims

Small law firms may not always have the resources to handle expensive claims, such as dangerous products or medical malpractice lawsuits. They may be more inclined to convince you to sign a lowball settlement offer and prefer to resolve claims out-of-trial, which is generally cheaper and quicker. However, this could mean leaving money on the table.

At Morgan & Morgan, we have the resources to fight claims all the way to trial. If an insurance company is dragging its heels, we can take them to court to fight vigorously for what you deserve.

Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Attorney

Most personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations, allowing you to ask your most pressing questions and learn more about the attorney and law firm. Good questions to ask can include the following:

• Do you believe I have a good case?
• How many personal injury cases have you fought and won at trial?
• Have you handled claims like mine successfully?
• Which costs am I responsible for if I lose the case?
• How long do claims like mine take on average?
• What is my case worth?

Ideally, the attorney and legal team should answer your questions comprehensively and patiently. If you feel that the attorney is not paying attention or rushing you, they are probably not a good choice. The best personal injury lawyers are enthusiastic about helping clients.

Examples of Common Personal Injury Lawsuits

While experienced personal injury lawyers can handle most claims, it is generally advisable to hire a lawyer who has experience in the specific practice area you need. Knowing what type of lawyer is needed for personal injury depends on the nature of your claim. Some common personal injury practice areas include:

Motor Vehicle Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly 43,000 individuals died in car crashes in 2021, a 10.5 percent jump from 2020. Many more individuals suffer significant and life-changing injuries after severe crashes. However, if you or a loved one is hurt in an accident due to another’s fault, a personal injury attorney could help you receive damages. Another driver might be responsible for your losses if they were:

• Speeding
• Driving drunk
• Driving distracted
• Violating road laws
• Ignoring traffic signals
• Driving generally dangerously

Slips and Falls

Slips and falls can cause severe injuries, particularly in older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that falls are the number one cause of injuries and deaths among those aged 65 and older.  

While not all falls qualify for a personal injury claim, you could have legal recourse if you fell due to a hazardous situation on another’s property, such as:

• Wet or cluttered floors
• Loose mats and rugs
• Inadequate lighting
• Potholes and cracks in parking lots or sidewalks
• Snow and ice accumulations on walkways
• Missing handrails
• Broken flooring or missing steps

If your fall or the fall of your loved one occurred due to a property owner’s negligence, you could be entitled to compensation. A seasoned slip and fall lawyer from Morgan & Morgan could help you fight for an adequate settlement to get your life back on track.

Negligent Security

Becoming a victim of crime may not only cause physical injuries but also leave victims with permanent emotional scars and conditions like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, you could be entitled to damages if you get hurt in a crime on someone else’s property due to a lack of security. Issues falling under negligent security can include missing locks, malfunctioning security alarms, broken fencing, faulty security cameras, and others.

Medical Malpractice

Figures from Johns Hopkins Medicine show that more than a quarter of a million individuals in this country die each year due to medical negligence. Medical malpractice can have devastating consequences for patients and families, causing sky-high medical costs and other burdens. Examples of medical negligence can include late diagnosis, surgery errors, dentistry mistakes, birth injuries, and many other incidents.

If you or a loved one suffered the consequences of a doctor’s mistake, you should not have to pay for your losses. One of our experienced medical malpractice attorneys could help you get justice and compensation.

Dangerous Products

Manufacturers are generally responsible for ensuring that their product is reasonably safe for consumers. Anyone who suffers a defective product injury could claim compensation from a manufacturer or another party involved in the distribution chain of the item. Examples of defective products include but are not limited to:

• Electric appliances
• Cars, trucks, and motorcycles
• Medical devices
• Children’s toys
• Cosmetics
• Medications

This is not an exhaustive list of personal injury claims. Many other avoidable accidents and incidents could give victims the right to sue and seek compensation, such as dog attacks, nursing home abuse, boating accidents, and others.