So You’re Hiring a Virginia Car Accident Attorney: Are You Making These 5 Mistakes?
Hiring a Virginia car accident attorney to help you with your case is not a decision that should be made in haste. Making any of these five mistakes can be the difference between receiving great service plus fair compensation and horrible service including having barely any money to cover your medical bills.
- A belief that all law firms and attorneys are the same. There is this stigma associated with lawyers in that they are money-hungry people who could care less about their clients. This is far from the truth. There are many lawyers who have a sincere desire to help people and ensure that justice is served. Every law firm operates differently, so it’s important to speak with a few attorneys before making a decision. Also, remember that “bigger” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”. Smaller firms can often provide better service because they don’t have to juggle so many clients.
- Choosing a Virginia car accident attorney because he/she attended a “good” law school. Just because there’s a fancy diploma hanging on the wall doesn’t make him/her a great attorney. For all you know, this person could lack interpersonal or client service skills which could cause a great deal of frustration, especially if you have to deal with him/her over several weeks or months. Is it annoying having to communicate with a secretary who can’t answer your question when you call?
- Hiring an attorney who doesn’t specialize in car accidents. If your friends want to refer you to a lawyer they know, make sure that the lawyer has experience in auto accident and personal injury cases. And just because a friend or family member refers you to a “great” lawyer, it’s still important to do your due diligence. Do a quick web search for more testimonials.
- Choosing a lawyer based on cost. Sure, the fee seems low, but you never get a return phone call or it takes much longer than expected to settle your case because the investigation and negotiation process was slow. On the other hand, though, you also don’t want to hire someone because their fees are high. Many people equate high fees with excellent service, but sometimes this is not the case. You want to hire an attorney who is honest, is comfortable to talk with, has experience, and credibility within the community.
- Believing the hype. Just because they have a nicely produced TV ad doesn’t make them a great firm. Sometimes they will invite you in for a free consultation, only to badger you like a fast-talking salesman and make promises they can’t keep. We’re not saying that every lawyer with a TV ad does this, but usually the best lawyers have so many referrals from satisfied clients that they don’t need to spend money on advertising. Why buy expensive TV ads when happy clients can do all the marketing for you?