Demas & Rosenthal, LLP founding partner John N. Demas is a graduate of the University of the Pacific and McGeorge School of Law. A noted advocate for personal injury victims, Demas has been successfully litigating and settling hundreds of lawsuit for his clients for nearly 20 years. With years of experience under his belt, he explains in this article what clients should be looking for when they are hiring a personal injury law firm.
So many lawyers and law firms out there claim to represent personal injury victims that it can be tough to know what to look for in a firm. Before you sign on with anyone, though, you should be on the lookout for a couple of key things:
- Specialty. A lot of law firms might take personal injury cases, but when you are choosing a lawyer to handle your case specifically, look for someone who works at a law firm that specializes in personal injury law. This is the only way you can be sure that your attorney has enough expertise to handle your specific, complex case.
- Leadership. Here at Demas & Rosenthal, we aren’t just leaders in the field of personal injury law—we are called upon oftentimes to educate other lawyers in this area of the legal field. When you’re searching for an attorney who is an expert, you should check whether he gives lectures to other lawyers in this area of law, whether he has published articles about the topic, and whether this attorney has ever been on the board of directors of any state or local trial lawyer organizations. If so, those are all good signs about the competence of the person you are hiring.
- Trial experience. All too often, attorneys are intimidated by trials and have the tendency to try and settle things out of court. When it comes to dealing with insurance companies in personal injury cases specifically, though, you want to make sure you have a lawyer not intimidated by the thought of facing off in court.
- Resources. Certain personal injury cases can require significant capital resources on the part of the law firm to adequately investigate and prosecute your case. Therefore, when you hire a firm without these financial resources in place, that could jeopardize the quality of your lawsuit and diminish your chances of reaching a fair settlement. This can be an especially risky proposition when you are hiring an attorney who works on his own, without a law firm to back him up.
- Communication. More than just talking to whomever answers the phone at an attorney’s practice, personal injury victims should be sure to insist that they speak with the attorney himself or herself. This can give you a better idea of what kind of attorney you’re dealing with. It also gives you a chance to listen closely and watch for any red flags—such as an attorney who quickly tries to sway you into hiring him by telling you what your case is “worth” before you have had a chance to share all the facts.
Overall, it is important that personal injury victims go with a law firm where they feel comfortable. While size and experience are important, it is most important that you find a specific attorney who you feel will listen to what you are saving and understand your chief complaints.
