Avoid Common Mistakes: Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer in California

Summary

Getting overwhelmed in your search for the right personal injury lawyer? This article covers everything you need to know and consider to land the right match for you.

Personal injury attorneys provide legal representation if you or a loved one suffered from a catastrophic injury or wrongful death from an auto accident, medical malpractice, dog bites, premises liability, or product liability.

Frantz Law Group sets itself apart from other law offices in California through its legal team’s years of experience and track record in handling serious accident cases and commitment to providing top-tier legal representation across the state. 

Our lawyers will not only expertly walk with you throughout the case, but we will also ensure that you get fair financial compensation for your actual loss, injury, and damage, as well as for the emotional distress that the accident has caused.

How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer

If you’re an accident victim, choose the right personal injury attorney and legal team to legally represent you to guide you through the legal process, assist you in your accident claims, and get you maximum compensation in a settlement or a personal injury lawsuit. You may want to schedule a free consultation to gauge if they are a good match.

To help you select the right personal injury law firm and attorney to handle your case, here are some factors to consider:

Credentials

Always do a background check and verify information about a potential lawyer, such as their education, practice license, and professional association memberships.

Years of Experience and Track Record

Assess the length of time the lawyer has been practicing and decide whether they have substantial experience to be familiar with the language of the law. Moreover, looking at their success in handling similar cases, whether via settlement or through a court trial, is a good measure of fit.

Practice Area Expertise

Check the practice area they specialize in, so you’ll have confidence that they know the ins and outs of handling similar cases.

Professionalism

Look for a lawyer who shows professionalism through their demeanor, adheres to ethical practices, protects their client’s privacy and confidentiality, respects your time as a client, is honest and transparent, and has the capacity for accountability.

Responsiveness and Approachability

A good legal team can make you feel at ease in approaching them for guidance or support. Despite their busy schedule, they must still be able to respond should you have any concerns or questions they can only answer.

Attention to the Client and the Case

The right lawyer for you is someone who fully knows your case’s details. They devote considerable time immersing in your case, reviewing all the reports, testimonies, evidence, and other materials. They also try to get to know you to represent you effectively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Now that we’ve already looked at the factors to consider when selecting the right legal representation provider for you, let us be aware of the common mistakes people make when hiring a personal injury attorney so you can avoid doing the same things.

Not Verifying Experience

Because professional information about individual lawyers from personal injury law firms is easily accessible on their websites or online, knowing whether they have solid experience and success in handling similar cases is also at the tip of your fingers and available in just a few clicks.

Overlooking Client Testimonials

One good source of credible and unbiased information about accident lawyers is client testimonials that may be available online and through word of mouth. This can provide valuable insight into the lawyer’s effectiveness. When searching for a personal injury attorney to hire, avoid relying on witty slogans and flashy advertisements and instead find actual clients who can provide objective feedback.

Ignoring Communication Style

Examining how an accident lawyer communicates with the client is also important. The lawyer’s ability to communicate clearly, upfront, and promptly about the developments and details of the case is a soft skill that can often make the client feel at ease as they go through this tedious process.

Not Discussing Fee Structures

Before signing on with any personal injury law firm or lawyer, inquire how they charge their clients. Most recommend hiring someone who offers a contingency fee basis, meaning they only get paid if your case wins. Also clarify if there are any other costs that you might incur. Have everything in writing to avoid difficulties in the future.

The Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

While it is possible to file for an insurance claim and to go after the liable party without the help of a lawyer, hiring one is one of the best decisions you would have to make if you got into a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, bicycle accident, bus accident, as well as other kinds of accidents that result to injury or death.

An experienced lawyer is particularly helpful in assessing your case worth, especially if you have a complex case such as one that results in serious injury, like traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, those cases that have multiple liable parties, or those that involve property damage and/or emotional distress. Aside from helping you navigate complex legal procedures, our personal injury attorney can help with the following:

Assessing Extensive Damages

Having an expert assess the financial cost of damages caused by catastrophic injuries from accidents may ensure that all factors are considered. Some cases may be too complicated as expenses from medical treatment, loss of workers’ compensation, property damage, rehabilitation, and long-term medical care could add up and become difficult to assess. Your experienced personal injury lawyer is familiar with all of these financial and medical factors that need to be thoroughly considered in determining your case worth.

Determining Liability

Delegating the task of determining liability to a personal injury attorney, especially in cases where multiple at-fault parties are involved, can increase the likelihood of them and their respective insurance companies cooperating and taking accountability.

Dealing with Multiple Sources of Compensation

Some cases may have multiple causes for the injury, such as pedestrian accidents, motor vehicle accidents, accidents from defective products, medical malpractice, etc. 

Because there are multiple parties involved, including individuals and large corporations, having legal representation can significantly move your case forward and appear to have teeth. Moreover, your personal injury attorney can also handle negotiations, taking the emotional load off you.

Handling Complex Insurance Coverage and Maximizing Compensation

Negotiating with insurance companies and filing a personal injury claim can sometimes get tricky and messy because they can involve multiple insurance policies–auto insurance, medical insurance, liability insurance–making it a challenge to deal with. Your lawyers with years of experience have done this hundreds of times already, making them experts in handling even the most complex of insurance coverages and in maximizing compensation.

Having legal counsel can significantly propel your case forward and ensure fair and full financial recovery. At Frantz Law Group, there are options that you can consider if you need help in navigating the complexities of the legal process involving serious personal injury while you focus on your own healing. 

Frantz Law Group: Your Trusted Partner in Personal Injury Claims

We at Frantz Law Group pride ourselves on our roster of legal experts with years of solid experience and a long-standing history of success in closing personal injury claim settlements and representing clients at a trial. Our lawyers’ practice areas include personal injury, wrongful death, class action, mass tort litigation, business litigation, and more.

Our firm has received notable verdict recognitions, being honored in Best Lawyers of America and Super Lawyers® due to our lawyers’ exceptional trial experience. Our legal team also excels in small- and large-scale litigation and in the more administrative parts of a legal battle, such as securing expert testimony and maintaining thorough control of case files. 

All of these point to Frantz Law Group’s strong commitment to achieving excellence and client success.

Our successful track record includes some of the largest verdicts in Southern California ($223 million jury verdict), as well as some other notable achievements, such as the following:

As a leading California personal injury law firm, our attorneys, paralegals, and assistants are on-call 24/7 to support you in your case. 

We prioritize the needs of our clients, providing assistance every step of the way from case worth assessment to brainstorming to build the case and strategize, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence, coordinating with professionals and specialists who can provide expert testimonies, communicating with involved parties, filing legal documents and requirements, monitoring the progress of the case, and representing the client in a settlement negotiation or at a trial.

Partnering with us means receiving a client-centered and outcome-oriented approach to handling your case, a commitment to efficient communication, and a no-win, no-fee guarantee.

FAQs: Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer in California

What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?

Lawyers specializing in personal injury cases help injury victims suffering from the physical and psychological consequences of being involved in various types of accidents caused by another party. These accidents could be any of the following:

What Can I Expect During the Legal Process?

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in California?

In California, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date that the injury is incurred. Promptly consult with a lawyer to help you keep track and avoid missing important dates and deadlines.

What Should I Bring to the Initial Consultation?

Have with you all relevant documents to your case, especially those that can help you establish liability or expedite your claim. These include, but are not limited to:

Start Your Journey to Compensation with Frantz Law Group

Hiring experienced personal injury lawyers to handle your accident case is very important if you seek maximum and fair compensation. At Frantz Law Group, you can rest assured that you are getting top-notch legal advice and representation from our award-winning personal injury attorneys who collectively have years of proven track record.

Get in touch with our California personal injury lawyers by arranging an appointment for a free consultation on your serious injury case. 

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