If you’ve been injured due to another party’s negligence, you are entitled to receive compensation for your present and future medical expenses, present and future lost wages, and non-economic damages (pain and suffering). Examples include vehicular accidents, premises liability incidents, nursing home abuse, burn injuries and catastrophic injuries such as limb amputation, brain and spinal injuries and wrongful death.
Trying to navigate the legalities to receive the compensation you deserve can be a complicated nightmare, and it is in your best interest to hire an experienced personal injury attorney. But how do you find the right attorney? Do you go with the firm with flashy TV ads or look online? If you’re confused and don’t know where to begin, you’re not alone. Putting your trust in an attorney is taking a giant leap of faith, and you want to make sure you’ve made the right decision. This blog will address how to choose a personal injury attorney in Columbus and successfully work with them.
Personal Injury Firms: Always Stay Local
Working with a local attorney has many advantages, including that they are familiar with state and local laws, such as Ohio’s statute of limitations, which is two years from the year the injury occurred. A Columbus-based attorney is also familiar with local courts, judges, and insurers. This is valuable knowledge that will be advantageous in settling your case.
Here are some tips for choosing a personal injury attorney in Columbus:
- Ask friends, family, and coworkers. If you know someone who has been awarded a judgment in a personal injury case, ask them who represented them.
- Ask your personal attorney. Since attorneys focus on various practice areas, a family law attorney may not have experience with personal injury claims.
- Check with the Columbus Bar Association or the Ohio Bar Association
- Explore legal referral websites such as Lawyers.com, Avvo.com., Martindale-Hubbell.com
Once you have narrowed your search, check online reviews. You can use Yelp and Google, as well as check for testimonials from Columbus-area clients.
After you’ve chosen an attorney (or several), schedule an initial consultation. Most personal injury attorneys don’t charge for the first meeting. That is the opportunity for them to meet you, learn about your situation, and then evaluate whether they feel you have a case to pursue.
Some questions to ask the attorney include:
- Experience with cases such as yours (bicycle accidents, workplace injuries, truck accident, car accident and more)
- Win-loss record for the attorney, not necessarily the firm as a whole
- Ask the attorney how frequently they plan to communicate with you. Communication throughout the process is very important to favorable outcomes.
- Does the attorney or law firm have access to private investigators, witnesses, and any other resources needed to win your case?
- Are they experienced working with complex or high-value cases that requires them to stand up to difficult insurance companies?
- Most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, meaning that they don’t get paid unless they win your case. Check your contract carefully for any hidden fees because each law firm is different.
Oliver Law Office is a Trusted Personal Injury Firm
When you’ve been injured due to another party’s negligence, it’s important to act quickly. You need to make sure that your injuries are documented and your personal injury lawyer can get to work collecting evidence of the accident and medical documentation. By choosing Oliver Law Office to represent you, we will put our experience to work aggressively advocating on your behalf. To get started, reach out to Oliver Law Office in Columbus to schedule a free consultation.
