How to Find a Good Personal Injury Lawyer in Florida

If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident caused by someone else, you may wish to pursue a personal injury claim to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses. Hiring a qualified Palm Coast personal injury lawyer offers you the best chance of recovering fair and full compensation.

The process of finding the right lawyer, however, can feel overwhelming. How do you find a qualified personal injury lawyer who is the best fit for your case? We’ve listed some steps below to help you find a Florida personal injury lawyer.

Since 1973, the attorneys of Chiumento Law, PLLC, have served the residents of Palm Coast and Ormond Beach, Florida. Our personal injury attorneys represent people who have been injured in accidents caused by others’ negligence or disregard for safety. Today, we are a team of attorneys whose collective legal knowledge and experience give our clients the benefits of a full-service law firm.

Contact Chiumento Law today for a free case evaluation. We will review the circumstances of your injury and discuss your legal options.

Ask for Lawyer Referrals from People You Trust

Finding a good personal injury lawyer following an accident often begins with talking to family members, friends, and neighbors for referrals. In all likelihood, someone you know has had to hire a personal injury attorney. They can give you a referral to a personal injury attorney they had a favorable experience working with.

As you gather recommendations and referrals, you’ll be able to compile a list of attorneys to consider.

Research Attorneys Online

You don’t have to hire the first lawyer you call. It is often a good idea to consult with several personal injury attorneys before deciding which one you would like to represent you. You might find that some of the attorneys you speak to don’t have the right experience, or an attorney might not be someone who you feel comfortable talking to about your ordeal.

Beyond asking people you know for referrals, you can gather names of attorneys through research. Your local bar association likely will have a list of attorneys who practice in personal injury law. You may check out online attorney listing services. Many online attorney directories have client and peer ratings for attorneys and law firms, which can give you a sense of the quality of their representation. Established law firms typically have more resources to bring to investigating and preparing a case.

Don’t just rely on the advertising on the attorney’s or law firm’s website. Be sure to check out their reviews on social media sites such as Facebook and Google.

Listen to Your Gut

Most personal injury lawyers will offer prospective clients a free, no-obligation consultation. The consultation will allow the attorney to review the basic facts of your case and advise you whether you may have a viable claim for compensation. The consultation also offers a chance for you to review the attorney, ask questions about the attorney’s experience with similar cases and decide whether you want to work with them on your case.

You should listen to what your gut tells you about what kind of working relationship you will have with the attorney. If you get a sense that the lawyer isn’t listening or working with a particular attorney will make you feel anxious or unsure about the decisions in your case, that attorney probably isn’t right for you. A good personal injury lawyer’s job involves taking stress off your shoulders and serving as a resource during a challenging time in your life.

Find Out the Extent of the Lawyer’s Training

You should also make sure that the attorney and firm have the experience and resources to properly handle your case.

If you have a medical malpractice claim, you would not want to hire a personal injury lawyer who has never handled a malpractice claim.

The types of questions you can ask to evaluate the lawyer’s training and experience include:

• How many years have you practiced law? How many years in personal injury?
• What percentage of your caseload involves personal injury matters?
• Have you ever handled cases similar to mine? How many cases?
• What percentage of your personal injury cases do you settle?
• What percentage of cases do you recover compensation in?
• How often do you win at trial?

Ask If the Attorney Will Handle Your Case Personally

At some personal injury law firms, the attorney you speak with during your initial consultation will not be the attorney who handles your case. Instead, the consultation may be handled by a partner or senior attorney whose role focuses on securing clients. Your case will later be assigned to another attorney in the firm. In some instances, your case may be referred out to a different law practice.

During your consultation, you should ask the attorney whether they will personally handle your case. If another attorney will handle your case, you can always ask to speak to that attorney. That way, you can evaluate whether you may have a good working relationship with the lawyer you’ll most often communicate with.

Discuss Fees Before Signing

Finally, you should also take the time to understand a personal injury lawyer or law firm’s fee structure before signing a fee agreement. Our personal injury lawyers at Chiumento Law handle cases on a contingency fee basis. That means that the lawyer is paid a percentage of the compensation they secure in your case through a settlement or court award. If they don’t win any compensation for you, the lawyer doesn’t earn any fees.

However, you will also want to understand other important details about the fee structure, including:

• Whether you will need to pay up-front for case expenses, such as court filing fees, or the cost of hiring expert witnesses.
• If the attorney or law firm will cover case expenses upfront, whether they are reimbursed for those expenses in addition to earning a legal fee if they win your case, or are expenses rolled into the legal fee.
• What fees or expenses will the attorney be entitled to if you decide to hire a different lawyer or firm in the middle of your case.

Find a Palm Coast Personal Injury Lawyer That’s Right for You

To learn more about how our attorneys can assist if you have a personal injury case in Palm Coast, contact Chiumento Law, PLLC, to speak with a knowledgeable Florida personal injury lawyer.

Let us explain how our firm can help you pursue the financial compensation you need for your recovery from those at fault for your injuries. Give us a call at (386) 445-8900 or contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.