Personal Injury Lawyer: How Will You Find the Right One?
Being the third leading cause of death, personal injuries are prevalent. About 175,000 Americans have some kind of unintentional injury. Of these, only about 5% go to trial, and the rest are usually settled out of court.
The city of Baltimore is witnessing a steady decline in its crashes. According to a Maryland Department of Transportation report, crashes decreased from 26,526 in 2016 to 15,991 in 2021.
The fatality rate increased from 53 to 68 during the same period.
Having a Baltimore personal injury lawyer on retainer is advisable if you are the victim of an unintentional crash.
They will help you navigate through the legal maze of claims and settlements. Wondering who a personal injury lawyer is and how you can find the right one? Read on to know more.
Role of Personal Injury Lawyers
Before you begin, let’s understand the personal injury. It is an injury to one’s reputation, body, or emotions. It can be on three grounds: negligence, strict liability, and intentional wrongdoing.
A personal injury lawyer is the plaintiff’s legal representative who incurred physical or mental injury. The defendant can be a person, organization, or entity.
It is tort law covering everything from accidents to defamation and breach of contract. The ambit of the field is enormous, and some lawyers specialize in specific areas within the field.
A lawyer may specialize in medical malpractice cases only. It means they are well-versed in medical terms and how the profession functions. Specific cosmetic surgery claims solicitors are there to help you with cosmetic surgery gone wrong.
Similarly, a lawyer specializing in auto accidents knows how to investigate the case and find the percentage of fault. Baltimore is the second-largest legal market in the country and has a bar success rate of 85%.
The filing process is similar across the different areas of tort law, but the investigation process may vary. To become a personal injury lawyer, they need to earn a law degree and pass the bar exam.
Admissions in a law school require them to pass the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Once they have cleared these educational milestones, they can begin practicing with a law firm or set up their own practice.
How to Find the Right One?
Now that you know who personal injury lawyers are, let’s discuss how to find one. You can begin by getting references from friends and family.
Once you have that list, you can check their background and success rate. You can visit the websites like lawyers.com or lawyersreputation.com to find their ratings and reviews.
Once you have shortlisted the one you think meets your requirements, schedule an appointment to discuss your case. The way the lawyer talks to you tells you what to expect if you hire them. It assures you that they have skin in the game and will work hard to get you a large settlement.
Usually, personal injury lawyers have a contingent fee rather than an upfront one. It means that you pay them a percentage of your settlement, and if you don’t win, you don’t pay.
Personal injury is not planned, but you can prepare for it by hiring a Baltimore personal injury lawyer. These professionals will ensure that you get what you deserve for the physical and mental hardship you had to go through.
