How to Find the Best Pedestrian Accident Attorney for You

Any type of sudden injury is jarring and can throw your life off track. That’s especially true for a pedestrian who has been hit by a car or a truck.

Dealing with the trauma and managing your recovery may feel like a full-time job. The most important step you can take is to get the medical care you need and to follow through with treatments, physical therapy, and other recommendations from your medical team. The next is to get the help you need beyond your medical care.

That help may come in many different forms. Perhaps you need assistance with household tasks you normally take care of yourself, or you are unable to drive yourself to medical appointments. Perhaps you need more assistance than usual in caring for your children.

One of the most significant areas where you may need assistance is in negotiating with the responsible party’s insurance carrier or filing a lawsuit to pursue compensation for your injuries.

Don’t Delay Looking for a Personal Injury Attorney

It’s natural that insurance companies, paperwork, and attorneys wouldn’t feel high on your priority list after being hit by a car.

However, there are many reasons not to delay seeking a pedestrian accident lawyer. One of them is that retaining an attorney will take a lot off your plate. Once you find the right pedestrian accident attorney for you, you can hand off much of the work – – and the stress – – of pursuing your personal injury claim.

Other reasons not to delay include:

• The insurance company may try to trip you up to minimize your settlement, or even deny your claim – – an experienced personal injury lawyer will be familiar with insurance companies tricks and traps
• The sooner your case gets rolling, the sooner you will be able to either reach a settlement or get a trial date scheduled – – that means connecting with an attorney sooner can mean receiving compensation sooner
• The sooner your attorney gets started collecting evidence and speaking with witnesses, the better – – it is ideal to talk to witnesses while their memories are fresh and clear

Choosing the Right Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

There are many different ways to start your search, such as getting a referral from a friend, searching the internet, looking in an attorney directory online, and asking an attorney you have used for a different type of matter in the past. But, that’s just the first step.

Your two most powerful tools in choosing the right pedestrian accident lawyer for you are reviews and your free consultation.

Using Reviews to Narrow Down Attorney Options

For most people, a recommendation from a friend or family member is golden. Not only does that recommendation come from a trusted person, but you have the opportunity to ask questions in greater detail. You may even have previously heard that person talk about their experience with the lawyer. That’s great, but it only speaks to one isolated incident, with a case that may or may not be relevant to yours.

Reviews give you broader information. You can see how the attorney has performed for different people with different types of cases across a longer period of time to get a more fully-developed impression of the attorney.

Getting the Most Out of Your Free Consultation

Most people think about the initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer as an opportunity to get information about the validity of their claim and its possible value. Most come equipped with questions about issues like how long the process will take, what will be required from them, how much money they may ultimately receive, and what to do about their medical bills in the interim.

Those are important questions, but focusing exclusively on information about the case and the personal injury process misses an important opportunity.

You will need to rely on your pedestrian accident lawyer for information and guidance – – usually for months and in some cases even for years. It is important that you are able to build a trust-based relationship with the attorney and feel confident in their judgment. Therefore, you should also be using your initial consultation to assess things like:

• Does the attorney answer your questions clearly and thoroughly?
• Are you comfortable asking the attorney questions or asking for clarification if the response doesn’t make sense to you or doesn’t fully answer your question?
• Does the attorney have experience with your specific case type?
• Is the attorney willing and able to take the case to trial if that’s in your best interest, or do they settle every case?
• What will the attorney do to keep you up-to-date on your case?

Some of these questions will be answered directly, such as the lawyer’s experience with cases like yours. Others will require you to pay attention and make subjective assessments. Observe how the attorney interacts with you, how any other staff you come in contact with at the office interact with you, and how comfortable you are with the team.

It’s also an opportunity to look out for red flags. For example, if the attorney continues to talk in complex legal language that you don’t understand even after you have asked for clarifications, this may not be the right lawyer for you. And, while it’s understandable that you would like to know what type of compensation you can expect, it’s important to know that no attorney can make you a guarantee of a particular settlement or verdict. Be very wary of a lawyer who makes promises about the outcome of your case.

Ultimately, the right lawyer for you will depend on a variety of factors. The attorney’s knowledge and experience will be important to everyone. The attorney’s willingness to go to trial if that is the right option for you is an important consideration. But it is also important that you have faith in the attorney and believe you will be able to work effectively with them.

The first step toward making that determination is to schedule a free consultation. You can schedule yours right now by calling 978-459-3085 or filling out the contact form on this site.