Five Things To Avoid In A Personal Injury Lawyer

Knowing how to select a personal injury lawyer is critical for the success of your case. Knowing what to look for is important, but knowing what to avoid can be just as important. In this piece, we’ll discuss five things to avoid when selecting a personal injury lawyer.

How to Select a Personal Injury Lawyer – Five Things To Avoid


When you’ve been hurt at the hands of another party, you could be due compensation, but you have to file a claim to receive it. Through a personal injury claim, you can get funds for your medical bills, lost wages and car repairs, so be sure to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you get the most compensation possible. There are many lawyers in the business who aren’t worth the time and money you invest in them, so be careful when selecting who you choose to represent you. To help you know how to select a personal injury lawyer, here are five things you should avoid in an attorney:

1. A LACK OF EXPERIENCE.

You don’t want to hire a personal injury lawyer who doesn’t have experience. Experience is crucial because it helps them determine what evidence to gather, what angle to take in your case, and how to best sway the judge and jury in your favor. Look for attorneys with several decades of successful case results.

2. AN UNCLEAR PRICING STRUCTURE.

A confusing or unclear pricing structure is a red flag. Most quality personal injury lawyers will work on a contingency fee basis, which means that if your case is successful, they get a certain amount of your total settlement. This encourages them to work as hard as they can on your claim so that you both benefit. Other lawyers may charge an hourly or daily rate, or they may charge you a set retainer fee. Regardless of how their pricing is set up, make sure they’re up-front, honest and clear about it so you know what to expect when your final bill comes.

3. BEING PASSED OFF TO A PARALEGAL OR ASSISTANT.

If you schedule a meeting with a potential personal injury lawyer and they hand you off to a paralegal, assistant or associate, consider it a bad sign that they’re overloaded with casework and don’t have time to meet with you. This in turn means that they probably don’t have an adequate amount of time to work on your case either, which could hurt your chances of success.

4. NO ACCESS TO PAST CASE RESULTS.

A lawyer’s past case results and how much clients have won can give you valuable insight into their effectiveness as a legal professional. It can also help you judge how adept they’ll be at handling your case, so if a lawyer refuses to show you their past results, they’re either not proud of their accomplishments or they don’t have any experience. Either way, move on to other candidates who are willing to share their results and who can provide many positive reviews and testimonials from past clients. Some lawyers have such results and reviews available on their websites, while others will provide them at your request.

5. A MESSY OFFICE.

If you meet with a personal injury lawyer and notice that their office is in a state of disarray, go elsewhere. A messy office can indicate financial problems, that the attorney is extremely overwhelmed with cases and doesn’t have time to properly handle yours, or that they’re disorganized and inefficient. Regardless of the reason, a messy office is never a good sign, and it’s also unprofessional.

If you are in need of a personal injury lawyer, contact the Law Offices of Pat Maloney today to schedule a free face-to-face consultation. With years of professional experience, lots of positive case results, a clear pricing structure, and great reviews and testimonials from happy clients, you can rest assured that we’re well equipped to handle your case successfully.