You’ve been injured in an accident or other incident. Unfortunately, the at-fault party is unwilling to pay a fair settlement for your injuries and damages. Instead, their insurance company is fighting your claim.
If you sustained an injury because of another person’s negligence or wrongdoing, you need to find the best personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas to handle your personal injury case. Taking on an injury claim yourself or hiring an inexperienced lawyer could result in a much lower settlement amount.
However, the search for a personal injury lawyer can be daunting. How do you know which personal injury attorney is the best lawyer to handle your case? Consider the following information before hiring a personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas, NV.
Search for a Lawyer Who Handles Your Type of Personal Injury Case
First, you need to know what type of personal injury lawyer to choose for your case. You want an attorney who has extensive experience handling cases similar to yours. That means the lawyer has substantial knowledge about the laws governing your case.
For example, if you sustained injuries in a car accident, you want to choose an experienced Las Vegas car accident lawyer. However, if a large truck accident caused your injuries, search for a lawyer with years of experience handling commercial truck accident claims.
Ask the lawyer how much experience they have handling cases similar to your case and about the case results they have achieved for past clients.
Know What Qualities You Want in a Personal Injury Lawyer
Understanding the qualities to look for when searching for the best Las Vegas personal injury lawyer helps you narrow your list of potential attorneys to interview.
Qualities you should consider when searching for an attorney include:
- The attorney’s education and years of experience
- Special skills and certifications
- Reviews from past clients and other lawyers
- The lawyer’s reputation within the community and legal field
- The types of personal injury claims the attorney handles
- The lawyer’s track record for settlements and trials
- Complaints and disciplinary record
- Ease of communicating with the lawyer
You can check a lawyer’s disciplinary history with the State Bar of Nevada. You can also obtain other information about the lawyer by Googling them, reading the information provided by the State Bar, and reviewing the lawyer’s website.
Read Reviews for Personal Injury Lawyers in Las Vegas
After checking to ensure that the lawyer is in good standing and has no disciplinary record, it is time to check their reviews. Reading reviews gives you an idea about how the lawyer and law firm handled past cases. Client reviews can provide insight into how lawyers treat their clients.
Peer reviews are also good sources of information about potential injury lawyers. Martindale-Hubbell provides peer reviews for attorneys.
Remember, clients can have unreasonable expectations, even though the lawyer clearly explained the client’s legal options and chances of winning a case. Therefore, it is common to see a few bad reviews. Also, past employees could leave poor reviews as revenge for being fired.
Read each review carefully and weigh what the person says. If the review does not provide specific details for the bad rating, the reviewer could be angry for reasons other than how the attorney handled their case. Also, balance all reviews to get the best sense of an attorney’s reputation.
Schedule Free Consultations With Several Personal Injury Attorneys in Las Vegas
Once you have narrowed your list to a few potential lawyers to handle your case, schedule meetings with each attorney for legal advice. Most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations, so you can meet with several lawyers.
Questions to ask during a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer include:
- How many cases have you handled that are similar to mine?
- What is your experience and success rate with trials?
- Do you focus on a specific area of law or handle several types of personal injury cases?
- Will you handle my case, or will you assign the case to an associate or paralegal?
- What is your success rate for settlement negotiations?
- Do you see any potential problems with my case?
- How soon do you return calls? What are the forms of communication your law office uses for clients?
- How much do you think my case is worth?
- What do you think the chance is for success?
- How long will it take to receive a settlement check for my personal injury case?
An attorney might tell you they cannot answer all questions until they investigate your claim and have a better idea of the factors impacting your case. While this response might be frustrating, it is honest.
A personal injury lawyer should be able to explain the process and give you estimates based on the information you supply during the initial consultation. However, a skilled personal injury lawyer will complete an independent investigation of your case to give you a comprehensive analysis and evaluation.
Discuss Attorney’s Fees and Costs of the Case
Most Las Vegas personal injury law firms take cases based on a contingency fee. That means you do not pay the lawyers any fees upfront for their legal services.
Instead, they accept a percentage of the settlement amount or jury verdict for their fees. You do not pay attorney’s fees if they do not recover any money for your claim.
Sign a Retainer Agreement To Hire a Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer
When you decide which attorney is the best Las Vegas personal injury lawyer to handle your case, you’ll sign a retainer and fee agreement to hire the attorney. Before signing a retainer agreement, read the entire contract. If you do not understand sections of the agreement, ask questions until you understand all terms.
Pay close attention to the contingency fees. The percentage for contingency fees often changes based on whether the case settles before or after filing a lawsuit or goes to trial.
Also, ask the lawyer who pays the case costs as the costs are incurred. Generally, the law firm pays costs as they arise and receives reimbursement from the settlement proceeds. Costs can include deposition fees, travel expenses, fees for records, postage, and expert witness fees.
Call Us for a Free Consultation With an Experienced Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer
At Battle Born Injury Lawyers, we’ll aggressively pursue every legal cause of action and available source of compensation for your injuries. We want to put as much money as possible in your pocket. Contact our law firm to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorney to discuss your case. Call us at (702) 570-9000 today.
