What Should I Look for in a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Choosing a New York personal injury lawyer is one of the most significant decisions you’ll ever make. There are three things to look for:

  1. Experience with personal injury law.
  2. Expertise in your type of case.
  3. The ability to uncover crucial facts.

There is no substitute for experience

Training for a legal career is one of the most rigorous undertakings. Simply gaining admission into a law school is arduous. Completing the course of study and passing the state bar exam are additional hurdles that can tax the abilities of even the most gifted student.

Yet, while academic preparation is essential, nothing beats real-world experience. This is especially true in the world of personal injury law, where personalities and politics can prove just as valuable as the theoretical aspects of jurisprudence.

For this reason, it’s essential to choose an attorney who knows their way around a courtroom. Not only that, but they should also have crack negotiation skills and the ability to size up the other side. Taking a chance on an untested novice can ruin your chances of getting the compensation you deserve.

Personal injury law is a specialized field

As in the world of medicine, the modern legal profession is all about specialization. The days of a one-size-fits-all attorney are just about over.

Sure, a general practice law firm might be the right choice for handling basic tasks such as writing a will or reviewing a simple contract. But the situation is drastically different when it comes to personal injury law. Here’s why:

  • The stakes involved: You’ve no doubt heard of personal injury cases that involve millions of dollars. When that kind of money is on the line, you can expect the other side to fight tooth and nail to protect their interests. Tilting the odds in your favor takes a personal injury lawyer with an exhaustive knowledge of the issues at hand.
  • The intricacy of the typical personal injury case: Take auto accident cases, for example. Who is at fault when a car wreck causes innocent people to suffer? Is the driver to blame? Or did the auto manufacturer play a role? What about the local highway department or law enforcement agency? Did their negligence contribute to the situation? Untangling these complex legal strands takes a personal injury expert.
  • The human factor: Some types of law are primarily theoretical in their orientation. This is certainly not the case when it comes to personal injuries. You need an attorney who can communicate to the other side just how much you have suffered and struggled as a result of your accident. That’s the best way to build the strongest possible case for maximum compensation.

Uncovering the facts that others try to hide

Sometimes a personal injury case is like a game of cat and mouse. One side tries to evade and deny, while your side works hard to uncover the crucial facts surrounding your accident.

The problem is that the truth, more often than not, is less than obvious. Uncovering and presenting the evidence you need to prove your case takes skill. It requires a team of investigative experts as well.

Let’s go back to our previous example of auto accident cases. The modern automobile is an immensely complex mechanism. A fault in any of its components can lead to devastating consequences. But car manufacturers are very good at covering up their misdeeds. A classic example is the Volkswagen admission scandal from a few years ago. VW allegedly made deliberate efforts to mislead the U.S. government about the eco-friendliness of its diesel engines.

According to investigators, the company used clever software tricks to hide crucial facts from federal environmental agencies. This problem might have gone on forever, had it not been for scientists at the Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions (CAFEE) who uncovered the truth. The result was a multibillion-dollar settlement in which VW paid out enormous sums of money to vehicle owners.

As you can imagine, it takes a keen mind to understand the details involved in these types of cases. That’s the legal and technical acumen you need in your corner if you expect to prevail.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation

Our attorneys here at Douglas and London are renowned experts in the field of personal injury law. Over the years, we have recovered more than $18 billion for our clients, a figure which speaks for itself.

Get in touch with our office today to schedule your free consultation. Someone is available 24/7 for your convenience. We can help to put you on the road to a better tomorrow.