The Best Law Firm for Your Wasilla Accident
People are hurt throughout the United States, throughout Alaska, and in or around Wasilla. If the injuries arise out of the negligence or other wrongful act of another, the injured party should seek out the Best Attorney for Personal Injury.
So with over 2,300 attorneys in Alaska, how do you find the best one for your case? There are certain things you should look for, most of which can be ascertained from online research, conversations with others and an interview with your prospective representative.
Do you feel comfortable? This is likely going to be a long-term relationship, as personal injury cases often take more than two years to resolve, whether through trial, settlement or motion practice. Even if he has a reputation of being the Best Attorney For Personal Injury, if you do not think you can get along with your attorney, he is not the one for you.
What is the attorney’s success rate? Although an important factor, this is not limited to verdicts at trial. In fact, the best attorney is one who can work efficiently to push a case to settlement in a reasonable amount of time, so that time and expense (such as expert witness fees, depositions transcripts and others) do not whittle away the amount of any future award or settlement.
How does your attorney communicate? If she is not good at returning your calls or emails, she is not the one for you. The exchange of information is vital to a strong case, and the solicitation of such information from lawyer to client should not be done on a last-minute basis. Further, if you have a deposition on Friday, your attorney should not first be telling you about it on Wednesday or Thursday. This is probably the single biggest cause of the breakdown of attorney-client relationships, as it should be.
What area does your attorney primarily practice in? “Personal injury” is a vague term, as it encompasses not only car accidents, but also slip and falls, assault and battery, products liability, defamation and other types of incidents. An attorney whose practice is focused on assault and battery might not be the best advocate for your auto accident case. Plus, prosecuting an airplane accident injury or wrongful death claim has different rules and factors and, as such, your slip-and-fall attorney is not the best candidate.
How will payment work? Usually, personal injury attorney work on a “contingency fee” arrangement, where the attorney is paid a percentage (often 33%) of any monies you recover. Often deducted from the client’s award are fees and costs described above. It is imperative that a retainer agreement is signed by both attorney and client so that there is no confusion as to what will be deducted.
These are just some of the factors you should consider when attempting to find the best attorney to prosecute your claims. In reality, there are many good attorneys out there, so if at first you do not succeed in finding one you like, try, try again.
