Anyone who suffers from a personal injury should look into whether they can make a compensation claim. The best way to be able to determine whether you do have a valid claim is to speak with a personal injury compensation lawyer.
There are a lot of law firms in Australia, so choosing the right one for you can be a confusing task. In this post we’ll cover a few tips on how to choose just the right law firm and what to keep an eye out for.
Deal With a Specialist
If you want to make a claim for a personal injury, you won’t want to go to a law firm that specialises in family or criminal law. You’ll want to deal with a firm that focuses on compensation claims for personal injury.
It’s true that there are some law firms that basically cover the whole spectrum of law, but even these firms aren’t going to be as specialised, dedicated or experienced as lawyers that do nothing but personal injury and compensation claims.
So, the very first thing you want to do is begin your hunt for a lawyer by only focusing on law firms that are specialists.
Take Advantage of the Internet
One way to discover a good lawyer is through a personal recommendation. Maybe someone you know recently dealt with a personal injury claim with a successful outcome. Failing knowing someone who can personally refer you, then the internet is the place to turn.
Start out by searching personal injury lawyers in your area. Once you’ve made a list of the most likely candidates, you’ll then want to take a few steps to qualify them and narrow the list down to the best one or two firms.
First off, check out their “About” pages. How long has the firm been in business? Do they make note of successful claims they’ve been a part of?
If they’ve been around for a while and seem to have a good track record, then do some searches online for independent reviews and testimonials of the firm. This will help solidify, in your mind, whether they’ll be a good law firm to deal with.
Many professional websites will list customer testimonials on them, but you really want to search out testimonials about the law firm that are mentioned elsewhere, rather than on the firm’s own site.
Does the Firm Offer a Free Initial Consultation?
You don’t want to be out of pocket before you even know whether you have a valid claim for personal injury compensation. Chances are you’re already leaking money on medical expenses and through loss of work income.
The good news is, many law firms that deal with personal injury claims will offer their first face to face meeting with you free of charge. This enables them to determine whether you have a valid claim, and you can go along and discuss your case without fear of spending top dollar to maybe find out you have no chance of a successful compensation case.
It’s to the firm’s advantage to offer this concession, as many people are afraid to contact a lawyer when they worry they’ll receive a big bill in the first instance.
With the free consultation, anyone who has suffered a personal injury can feel confident in contacting a lawyer to see where they stand legally.
Do They Offer a “No Win No Fee” Guarantee?
This is also something that seems to be common practice among personal injury compensation lawyers. It’s also a way of guaranteeing that you are not out of pocket for legal bills before you receive a payout.
The “no win no fee” is exactly as it sounds. If, after your first initial free consultation, the lawyer believes they can win your case, they’ll take it on under the condition that if they don’t win, you pay them nothing.
It’s peace of mind for you and also tells you they’re confident of a successful outcome.
