Looking for a California auto accident lawyer is no easy feat, especially if you try to find one immediately after a car accident. Here are 5 things to look out for when finding the best auto accident lawyer possible.
- Expertise and Focus on Car Accidents
- Great Web Presence
- Visible Track Record
- Good References
- Good Reviews
With these 5 things in mind, it is hard to go wrong when looking for a car accident attorney who specializes in these types of cases. Always start with finding out about a lawyer’s expertise and specialization regarding car accidents. Check out our article that discusses 5 things you need to do after a car accident as well (and it comes with a handy pdf too).
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Car Accident Lawyers Who Specialize in Auto Accidents
Sounds like an obvious point but the truth is that finding a lawyer for a specific situation is a lot like finding a doctor for a specific situation. A heart issue would mean you would not go see a neurologist. You would see a cardiologist. With the same reasoning, you would search for “car accident lawyer” if you were in need of legal advice following a car crash. But it is not always that simple.
The thing is that many lawyers practice in different areas and have different specializations. A larger firm may have specialists in various areas and, as such, have higher rates and more clients. This can be good and bad for you. It’s considered good because a larger firm may be easier to find as they have higher marketing costs, and they may have a more robust team and more. The downside is that they may be better at marketing than handling car accident cases. Or many times, they may have too wide a reach and have no one who really and truly understands what a car accident or car crash situation requires in terms of legal advice and support.
Another issue is that car accident cases require more than understanding the impact that another vehicle can leave on your body, your own vehicle or your property. It also requires a thorough understanding of how insurance companies work. California laws require every vehicle to be insured and, therefore, anybody involved in an accident will first resort to an insurance company.
How does an insurance company pay out when it comes to your health? What happens if you’re in an accident and you have no injuries immediately, but months later you begin to feel pain, possibly related to the accident from months ago? The final thing to consider when looking at a larger firm is that they may have more resources in some areas, but those resources may be the result of high demand in terms of clients. There are some practices that focus on getting results quicker but not necessarily higher payout. In the long run, this is the better alternative for somebody who is seeking compensation following a car accident that had led to financial, emotional, mental and/or physical damages.
So what about smaller practices or single lawyer or attorney firms? Well, many of the same considerations do apply when looking for an alternative solution following a car accident. A lot of the cons of a larger firm are usually not present in the smaller practice. But the absence of resources, experience, a complete team and/or other factors may also lead to the same result when it comes to the final compensation, result and details regarding your case.
The truth is that finding a firm or an attorney with more than one specialty is not necessarily a deal-breaker. In fact, it is a very common thing that has happened. But someone who is a specialist in everything is likely not an expert in the one thing that you do need. A lawyer and/or firm that has three to five areas of expertise is typically normal. However, any organization that presents itself as an expert in everything is likely better at marketing than anything else.
An Expert Auto Accident Lawyer Should Be Easy to Find
We often make the distinction between a good lawyer and a good marketer. But that is not to say that a good car accident lawyer is good or bad without one or the other. Again, it is a combination of things in which web presence is just one factor.
By find, we mean literally finding in a Google or Bing search “car accident lawyer near me”. When searching, you will find two types of results. The first ones will be firms or lawyers paying for sponsored results that appear above organic ones and are labeled as sponsored or paid results. Beneath that are the results that Google, for example, thinks are the most relevant to your search query.
Both these things, however, require investment. That is your first clue to wondering if the lawyer you are hiring invests in his web presence. Again, the investment does not guarantee that they are a great auto accident attorney. But it does mean that they have enough success to afford the costs behind this type of marketing.
So, now you know your future car accident attorney has a focus on auto accidents and that they have a marketing budget. Two great signs that can help point you in the right direction when searching for the right lawyer for your situation following a car crash. But the question remains, are they good?
Successful and Proven Case Results
Every lawyer will post some sort of information pertaining to results from their past cases. But how do you know what results are relevant to you in your search for the best auto accident lawyer near you?
Here are a few questions you can ask to understand what these results mean:
- How fast did it take them to achieve said result?
- How old are these results?
- What was the result amount, damages or settlement, in comparison to the original offer by the insurer or other party?
These questions help to understand more clearly what an auto accident lawyer can do for you specifically as it addresses every doubt you may have. You will know if the result amount reflects a realistic value, if the results are recent and if they represent an active attorney or not. And finally, you will understand if you are working with an attorney who is looking for quick and easy payouts or a lawyer who is looking to maximize your situation for your interests before anything else.
Now we move on to the final two points that will help bring you as close as possible to finding the perfect automobile accident lawyer: References and Reputation. What is the difference? Why is it important?
Great References From Other Sources
An active auto accident lawyer has references from other places on the internet. Typically, these references are specific to their area of expertise but that is not always the case. Many attorneys who focus on personal injury may have more online references than auto accident ones – but it may not necessarily mean that they are better at one than the other. It may simply mean that one type of focus is more likely to get referenced online.
When searching for an attorney near you, a nice starting point is to begin with a quick search of their name. Do other websites link to the lawyer you are considering? Do news articles reference him? Are there directory websites that have him listed? As a whole, references across these categories are usually a good indicator that your attorney is more than just a good marketer. It means they are sought after and active.
Auto Accident Experts Have Great Reviews
This final point is an easy and obvious one to understand. But we will get specific so you know what to look for beyond the obvious Google reviews method. A lawyer or law firm that is great at auto accident cases will have reviews that specifically mention them. If not, it is a toss up as to whether or not they can even help.
Typically a review count represents a tenth ,1/10, or a hundredth, 1/100, of the total clients worked with. There are variances and many other factors that could also impact review counts but for the most part, reviews mean real world experiences by people like you.
So an attorney with 100 reviews has likely worked with thousands of clients. And experience matters.
It’s not one thing, it’s a list of things when finding the right car accident attorney
To summarize what the ideal way of finding the best auto accident lawyer near you is:
Expertise and focus on car accidents
Lawyers specialize across many areas. Too many may mean volume workers with no real tradecraft. Too little may mean inexperience. A nice balance between different focus is what you want to look for.
Great web presence
Web presence will help you understand if an attorney is invested into their marketing and presence. While some are all marketing and others may be great but hard to find, a good attorney is both easy to find and dedicated to their craft. Web presence matters. Do not overlook it.
Visible track record
Both case studies, result information and direct references to cases from other web sources give a good idea of the breadth and depth of a lawyer’s experience with their clients. Understanding what an amount represents really makes a difference. Most are open to chatting about it.
Like many other things, it takes a bunch of things to find the right person. Even something as simple as finding a good mechanic or car guy – you still have to consider many things.
A bad track record from a mechanic who has no presence on the web would be a bad sign. So, finding a good attorney is pretty much the same. A visible track record is key to finding the ideal car accident lawyer in Los Angeles just like in any other city.
Good references
Speaking of references to cases from other web sources, good references means your lawyer is sought after. Be it a car accident lawyer or employment law attorney, both depend on references from other websites to help their clientele understand that they are both experienced and relied upon when it comes to their craft.
Good reviews
Reputation matters. And a lawyer with a good reputation is a lawyer who you want to work with.
All in all, looking at these 5 points can really make finding a car accident attorney an easy process. Finding a quality lawyer is not impossible despite the many, many options. Going over these 5 points takes minutes. The benefit however is worth it.
*These blogs are meant purely for educational purposes. They contain only general information about legal matters. They are not legal advice, and should not be treated as such. If you have any specific questions about any legal matter you should consult with an attorney.