Injured and Overwhelmed? 6 Proven Steps for Finding Legal Support

Getting injured, whether it is through your job or in an accident, is a scary and stressful experience. On top of trying to heal, there are a lot of legal responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of the injured. If you are injured and you are having a hard time navigating the legal system to get what you need, read below for six proven tips for finding legal support.

Compile a List of Your Needs

The needs of the injured vary from person to person. If you have been injured on the job, then you are probably seeking help with filing a worker’s compensation claim so that you can get money for medical bills and also receive pay for the days of work that were missed. If you were injured in a car accident that was not your fault, your needs are probably more related to getting compensation to fix your vehicle and money to pay for recovery. 

No matter what the injury is, there is going to be some kind of cost in the recovery process, whether that is hospital fees, ambulance fees, physical therapy, chiropractor appointments, surgeries, or any other medical bill that comes from seeking help. Sometimes insurance companies do not pay what they say they will and that is when lawyers need to get involved. If you are injured, you cannot fight your insurance company alone while you are also trying to recover, so it is time to compile a list of all of your needs, keep a record of all of your medical bills, and find legal support. 

Research Lawyers

If you don’t know where to start when searching for a lawyer, begin looking for personal injury lawyers in your area. You will want to find a New York personal injury lawyer that has an office relatively close to where you live so you do not need to travel far to meet with them, especially if your injury is severe. If you know anyone else who has suffered from a personal injury in the past, ask them about their experience with their lawyer and see if they can give you a recommendation. 

As you search for the perfect lawyer for your case, pay special attention to reviews and ratings on their websites and read through client testimonials to get a feel for their experiences. If you read that certain law offices have dealt with cases that are similar to yours in the past, then add them to the shortlist.

Evaluate Specialization and Experience

Once you have narrowed down your search to a handful of legal teams, check the biography sections of each attorney to see their specializations and whether or not they have a lot of experience working cases like yours. The more experience they have, the better chance you have of receiving the compensation you need. Many lawyers specialize in personal injury, but if you have a niche situation that requires a certain set of skills, then you may have to dive deeper to get the lawyer you need. Remember to check client testimonials again to make sure that they reflect what you want in an attorney.

Arrange Consultations

After narrowing down your search to just personal injury lawyers who specialize in your specific kind of case, it is time to schedule consultations with a few of them to gauge whether or not they are right for you and to get to know them better. This is the time when you should bring with you all of the evidence and paperwork you have compiled about your case. You should also be prepared to describe the incident leading up to your injury in detail so that the lawyer can get a good understanding of what happened and if they can make a good case. 

One good thing is that many personal injury lawyers offer free first consultations, meaning you will not have to pay them any money unless you decide to work with them on your case. Remember to also pay attention to their communication skills, body language, and how they speak to you during this initial consultation. Once you choose a lawyer, you will probably be spending a good amount of time with them, so it is important that you get along well with them.

Talk About Legal Fees

The last decision you have to make is what amount you are willing to spend on good legal representation. After you have asked all other questions during the initial consultations, ask each candidate about their fee structure. Luckily, many personal injury lawyers do not get paid unless they win you some compensation, so you won’t have to worry about any of that until the end of the proceedings, but it is still good to know about the fees so you will not be blindsided by them later on. 

Once you have asked this final question, it is now time to decide which attorney will suit you best going forward. Remember to consider all of the factors listed above when making your decision.

Work With Your Chosen Attorney to Get What You Deserve

After you have picked your personal injury attorney, it is time to get to work. You are now working with a professional, so the best thing you can do is be as helpful as possible and answer all of their questions. If your case goes to court, you may have to go on the stand as a witness to your own injury, so you will have to prepare for questioning ahead of time with your lawyer. Once the lawyer has taken on the bulk of the responsibilities, you can finally relax at home and focus on your healing. If all goes well, you will walk away with the money you need and you will have a trusted attorney at your side if anything like this happens again.

Being injured and overwhelmed can be a hopeless feeling. That feeling will not go away until steps are taken to get help. Finding the right legal support can take some time, but once you find the perfect attorney for your case, you can relax knowing that they will work hard to get your compensation.