How to Choose a Great Tulsa Personal Injury Attorney
Being in a situation where you need to hire a Tulsa personal injury attorney can be overwhelming and stressful. You may not know who to turn to, how to start looking for an attorney, or if you even need one.
Because this can be such a confusing time, we have broken down the most important elements to look for in a Tulsa, Oklahoma personal injury attorney if you have been injured.
As a side note, a great way to start is to ask friends and family for referrals to Oklahoma personal injury attorneys they have used before. Then take this list to your first consultation. This is a really low stress way of beginning your search.
Experience
One of the most important elements of a Tulsa personal injury attorney is his or her experience. This includes not only experience in Oklahoma personal injury law, but also experience in the type of injury you have suffered.
You are seeking an attorney for his or her expertise and acquired knowledge. Therefore, it is important to understand your Tulsa personal injury attorney’s background. A Tulsa personal injury attorney who has been practicing for a long time and is familiar with your specific type of injury case will be better at navigating your case and the court system.
Additionally, ask if they are members of specific Oklahoma personal injury professional organizations or have taken any specialized continuing education units in the field of personal injury.
Reasonable
Another important characteristic your Tulsa personal injury attorney must have is the ability to remain reasonable while handling cases. Your personal injury attorney is initially going to be working with your insurance adjuster or the other party’s insurance adjuster.
If your attorney acts unreasonable or lets their emotions get the best of them, then your case can be negatively impacted — which can lead to a lower settlement. You can usually tell during your first consultation whether an attorney has a calm but assertive demeanor or an aggressive, no-compromise, litigation-only character.
Communication
Attorneys are unfortunately known for their poor communication styles, but that doesn’t mean you should accept it. Talk to your Tulsa personal injury attorney about your expectations.
Ask how often you will receive updates on your case. It is important to emphasize to an attorney that you don’t expect long detailed conversations every week. But it is reasonable to receive a quick call or email once a week (or every other week) to let you know what’s happening in your personal injury case.
However, remember no news is usually good news. Tulsa personal injury attorneys typically only call when there is a problem, they need something, or you need to prepare for court.
Something else to understand is that communication costs money. All calls, e-mails, and meetings are billable. So, in order to keep your fees down, evaluate whether communication is absolutely necessary.
Another interesting point about communication is who you are actually communicating with in the office. Make sure to ask your Tulsa personal injury attorney whether he or she will be the primary person working on the case or if a paralegal will be handling a majority of the work.
If their paralegal handles the majority of the personal injury attorney’s cases, don’t be alarmed. Also, consider that calls to your personal injury attorney’s paralegal are far less expensive than calls to your attorney.
During your initial consultation, make sure to meet everyone who will handle your case.
Litigation
While your Tulsa personal injury attorney will begin by working with the insurance adjuster, if negotiations break down your attorney must be prepared to go to trial. If you did not hire a personal injury attorney with that experience, this will be an issue.
Ask your personal injury attorney about his or her trial experience and verdicts. In the United States, the percentage of personal injury cases that actually go to trial is 4-5%.
While the chances of going to trial are low, litigation and trial skills are important characteristics for a personal injury attorney to have. You don’t want to be one of the 4-5% of cases that ends up in court and have a lawyer who lacks trial experience.
Free Consultation with a Tulsa Personal Injury Attorney
Consulting with an attorney as soon as possible if you are injured is very important in order to preserve your rights, receive the medical attention you need, and obtain a fair settlement. An attorney can help you gather information and advise you on what you may receive in a personal injury settlement.
Hiring a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney will ensure the process is expertly conducted and that your interests are well represented.
Contact an experienced Tulsa personal injury attorney when you need to go through the Oklahoma personal injury civil claims process.
For a free, confidential consultation, call 918-924-5528 today.
