How to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been the victim of an injury, you need to hire a Portland personal injury attorney. Whether you suffered an injury while working on the job or walking home from the store, if it was caused by negligence or wrongdoing, you deserve to get compensation. Contacting a Portland personal injury lawyer early in the process can save you a lot of money in medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses.

Here’s how to go about finding a qualified legal professional in your area.

1. The first step to hiring a lawyer is learning as much as possible about the legal process you will be going through. Ask questions at every step along the way. Find out whether fees for meetings with potential attorneys are included in the fee or an additional cost. Find out if there are any extra costs such as mileage and consultation fees when working with a Portland personal injury attorney. Meet with several lawyers before making up your mind to choose one who will represent you best.
2. You have the right to speak with more than just one Portland personal injury lawyer before making a choice. You may want to interview several before deciding. During the interview, find out as much as you can about the experience and education of each lawyer. Consider hiring a lawyer who has the same background as you do. He or she should have handled cases similar to yours in the past.
3. It takes time to find a good personal injury lawyer in Downtown Portland. You need to carefully evaluate each potential attorney before hiring them. Ask for references, and make sure that he or she has the level of experience that you are looking for. Check out the law websites online to learn more about the various cases that the Portland personal injury lawyer you are considering represents. You can contact the bar association in your state for a list of lawyers who specialize in personal injury claims. Spend time meeting with several lawyers before deciding whom to hire.
4. It is important to hire a Portland personal injury attorney who will fight for your rights and fight for you. There are many cases where personal injury victims end up accepting less than what they deserve because the lawyers want to get paid. Make sure that you check out a lawyer’s track record before hiring him or her. Ask for a free consultation so that you can tell if you are comfortable with the lawyer or not.
5. Finally, when you meet with a potential lawyer, never ask how much they charge in fees. Asking this question indicates that you are desperate for money. In order to get the most out of a case, you need a lawyer who charges for his or her time. Lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means that they receive no money if the case is lost. If you want to know how much you will be charged for the case, you need to ask the lawyer directly.