Three Things to Look For When Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer
Has your life changed because of a concussion or fractures caused by a car crash? Have you tried to find a Toronto injury lawyer to help, only to become frustrated by the endless number of choices? Do you find all the websites, bios, and credentials look and sound the same?
You are not alone. It can be overwhelming. But, you must know that each personal injury lawyer has different abilities, experiences, and areas of expertise. And because your case is one-of-a-kind, and you only get one chance to be compensated for it, you must find the lawyer that is right for you.
Finding an injury lawyer in Ontario capable of handling a minor car accident claim is easy. But, you require an accident lawyer with particular expertise if you have suffered any of the following:
• A brain injury or concussion;
• Spinal cord (paraplegia or quadriplegia) injury; or
• Fractures to your lower limbs.
These types of catastrophic injuries raise complex legal and personal issues that you and your family must learn to cope with. Therefore, you need an accident lawyer with the experience, expertise, and staff capable of dealing with your specific situation.
Before contacting an accident lawyer or agreeing to attend a consultation, make sure you have chosen the right one. The following three tips can assist you in making the correct choice:
- 1. Peer Reviewed Rankings.
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers ® each have websites free to the public that list the top lawyers in their respective fields in Ontario.
A lawyer only makes it onto this list by being nominated by other lawyers acknowledged as leaders in their field. For this reason, it is a very select group.
Each of these lists will identify who may rightfully call themselves a top accident lawyer. An accident lawyer included on either of these lists will be able to handle your type of catastrophic injury claim properly. But, an accident lawyer who has made it onto both lists is elite. Therefore, your search is nearly over if you can find an accident lawyer in Toronto who appears on both the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and the Best Lawyers ® list.
- 2. Dedicated Accident Benefits Personnel.
Car accidents give rise to Statutory Accident Benefits from your own insurance company. However, the process of applying for and obtaining these benefits is complex and time-consuming. And, unfortunately, sometimes you have to fight with these insurance companies for the benefits to which you are entitled.
Good accident lawyers have a professional staff dedicated to managing accident benefits for you. But, an elite Toronto accident lawyer will have accident benefits specialists who are former adjusters from these insurance companies now working on your behalf. If you have catastrophic injuries, you need the kind of elite accident lawyer who has the right staff to meet your needs.
- 3. Community Involvement.
This tip refers to the legal community, the health care community, and your community. An elite accident lawyer stays on top of law. These lawyers regularly publish and present at legal conferences. But, they also maintain close relationships with health care providers and regularly attend and present at health care conferences. You should expect your accident lawyer to be able to arrange for you the best treatment possible – and this is what allows them to do it. Finally, an accident lawyer who gives back to their community – whether financially, professionally, or just manpower – is the kind of lawyer who will be concerned with your best interests, not their own bottom line.
