How to Find a Personal Injury Attorney: 6 Tips

If you have never needed an attorney before, finding one can be a daunting task. How does one go about finding a good attorney and not some shyster? Especially when it comes to personal injury, finding an attorney, and a good one at that, is a must. What resources should you use to find a personal injury attorney?

Finding a personal injury attorney tip #1 - Bar Associations

Call your local or state bar association. Most attorneys take the time to join these organizations and provide them with a Curriculum Vitae, a fancy phrase for a resume. The bar association should be able to point out a few of their members that concentrate in personal injury law in your area.

Finding a personal injury attorney tip #2 - Search Engine keywords

Google for one. By performing a search engine search using the keywords "personal injury attorney" plus the name of your city, you will likely find many to choose from in short order. With more and more attorneys and law firms putting up websites, it has become easier to find an attorney by searching on line. Many law firm websites will provide information that can assist you in dealing with your legal problem, and, in addition, will provide you with background information about an attorney that might interest you. Beware of sponsored links, however. Not every ad you see will be a legitimate attorney.

Finding a personal injury attorney tip #3 - Ask around

Much like you would ask a friend for the name of a good doctor or dentist, a friend may also be able to refer you to a good personal injury attorney. Even if your friend has never needed a personal injury attorney, likely he knows of someone who does. Word of mouth advertising is a key advertising strategy for legal firms. They want their clients to be happy with their services and thus refer their friends and relatives to their firm for their legal needs. Indeed, upon first meeting with an attorney, they may likely ask you how you heard about them. It is always pleasing to an attorney to find that you were referred to them by a former or current client.

Finding a personal injury attorney tip #4 - Yellow Pages

Yes, even in these modern times when things are instantly accessible via the Internet, the Yellow Pages endures as a popular advertising venue. Flipping to the Yellow Pages of your telephone book under Attorneys you will find that just about every attorney in town has placed an advertisement in there. The listings are generally grouped by concentration, so flip to the Personal Injury pages. Bigger ad does not always mean better attorney. It just means they spent more money to gain exposure.

Finding a personal injury attorney tip #5 -Television

I grew up in Pennsylvania and through television ads came to associate "personal injury attorney" with none other than Edgar Snyder. I can still picture him pointing his finger at me uttering "There's never a fee unless we get money for you!" Smaller markets will often have local or regional attorneys or law firms advertising on local television stations. Local attorneys are generally easier to deal with during the legwork for your case.

Finding a personal injury attorney tip #6 - Ask your attorney, if you have one

If you have ever used an attorney for a legal problem or real estate transaction, or something of the sort, feel free to ask him or her if they can recommend a personal injury attorney to you. Most attorneys that I have worked for that did not concentrate in personal injury had a short list of attorneys in their head that they could refer clients to if there was a need. While some attorneys do sometimes get kick backs if the case is successful, I have found more often than not, that referrals were based on professional courtesy and reciprocal referrals. Much like you wouldn't refer a friend to a dentist with a bad chair side manner; your lawyer won't refer you to a bad personal injury attorney. Just be wary if they will only give you one name. It is fine for your attorney to play favorites, but your attorney should be able to provide you with a list of at least 3 personal injury attorneys to whom they would not be embarrassed to attach their seal of approval.

Finding a personal injury attorney needn't seem like such a chore. By using these resources at your disposal, I am confident you will be able to find and narrow down a list of attorneys to contact about your case. Just be sure to mention the nature of your injury and the name of the opposing party when you call, as it is common practice for a law firm to perform a conflicts check prior to you meeting with an attorney.