The aftermath of a side-swipe accident can be an incredibly stressful time for anyone involved. While you might not feel it at the time, these types of incidents are often quite frightening for those involved, and the stress can linger long after you’ve left the scene. If you were in a sideswipe accident, there’s a good chance that your insurance might not pay up if you were at fault.
This means that unless your policy has covered this scenario, you’ll need to find coverage elsewhere. The best place to look? A personal injury lawyer who is willing to take on your case pro-bono. But how do you know if they’re right for the job? Here are some tips on how to choose a good personal injury lawyer for your side-swipe accident case.
Ask Around
This is a pretty important tip regardless of the situation, but it’s particularly useful in finding a good personal injury lawyer for your sideswipe accident case. After all, word of mouth is still one of the most powerful marketing tools available. If you’re lucky, you might have a friend who is familiar with dealing with personal injury lawyers and can recommend someone to you.
Alternatively, you might be able to talk to someone else who has been in a side-swipe accident and find out who their lawyer was. Finding out about a lawyer from someone else is often more trustworthy than finding out about them from an advertisement.
Do Your Research
This is an extension of the above section, but it’s important enough that it warrants its entry. When you’re researching personal injury lawyers, there are several factors that you should take into consideration. Whatever type of case you’re dealing with, the lawyer you hire has the potential to completely change the course of your life. As such, it’s important to do your due diligence in finding the right lawyer for your case, especially if you’re looking to hire one that will work pro bono. For example, check out how long they’ve been practicing law, the areas that they specialize in, and what the results of their past cases are. It’s also important to understand the kind of lawyer you’re dealing with. For example, some lawyers might be better at negotiating with insurance companies, while others might have a better track record in court.
Meet With Several Lawyers
Ideally, this is something you do before you start researching lawyers. If you start by looking at websites and reading reviews, you’re going to be in a very different frame of mind than when you actually meet with a lawyer. The reason for this is simple: you’re going to be a lot more relaxed and better able to detect whether a lawyer is right for you in a more casual setting. As such, it’s important to meet with at least a couple of lawyers before making a decision. You don’t necessarily need to tell them that you’re looking at hiring one of them pro bono, but it’s important to get a feel for them and their style. You should also make sure that they’re willing to take on the type of case that you’re dealing with. While most lawyers specialize in certain fields, most should be able to at least offer an opinion on your situation.
Check Out Their Track Record And Reputation
In addition to reviewing the results of their past cases, you should also be looking into the reputation of the lawyers you’re meeting with. You can usually find this information online on their websites, but you can also ask friends and family for their opinions. By checking out the reputation of the lawyers that you’re meeting with, you can get a feel for how easy they are to work with and how reputable they are in the industry. You can also often find out how difficult they are to work with if there are complaints listed on the Better Business Bureau website. If you find that there are a lot of complaints, you should be particularly wary of that lawyer. A law firm with a poor reputation may just be having a bad run of luck, but it’s important to be aware of it nonetheless.
Ask About Pro Bono Cases
Before you hire a lawyer and sign any contracts or agreements, you should find out whether or not they offer pro bono cases. This is especially important if you’re dealing with a serious injury and don’t have the money to pay a lawyer upfront. If a lawyer turns you down because they don’t offer pro bono cases and you don’t have the money to pay them, you’re probably going to have a hard time finding another lawyer to take your case. Unfortunately, not all lawyers are willing to take on pro bono cases. In fact, most lawyers will have a very strict policy against taking on pro bono cases. This means that you’ll need to be particularly careful when choosing a lawyer and make sure that they’re right for your case.
The Bottom Line
Picking a good lawyer is all about finding the right person for your case. While it’s important to keep these general tips in mind, it’s also important to remember that every case is different. Your situation is unique, as is your personality and needs. As such, it’s important to ask questions and do your research before picking a lawyer. If you can’t find a lawyer that is willing to take on your case for free, you can look into hiring a lawyer on a contingency basis. In other words, the lawyer gets paid based on the outcome of the case. While this is a more traditional form of hiring a lawyer, it’s also a lot more expensive. And as always, remember to keep your wits about you when you’re dealing with lawsuits and insurance companies after a car accident. With the right person on your side, the process can be much less stressful than it would be otherwise.
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