Personal Injury Attorney in Chicago: Find the Best One for You and Your Case

by | Nov 25, 2014 | Law

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In Chicago, a personal injury attorney can be a valuable tool when you have been involved in an accident of any kind. Slips and falls and car accidents are the most prolific, but you may have a lawsuit on your hands when someone else is responsible for your injury. Chicago is a big city, with over two million residents, so finding an appropriate law firm to handle your case could take some time and research. Here are five signs that you have found the best personal injury lawyer for your specific needs.

1. Appropriate Certification

To be authorized to practice law, an attorney must have passed the Illinois bar exam. He or she may also be part of several state and national associations, such as the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. This is not essential, but membership in a group can provide a starting point for assessing the quality of his or her services and experience.

2. Extensive Specialized Experience

It’s important that the attorney you hire is experienced in personal injury law, or that he or she has handled cases similar to yours. Your case may be unique, but areas like medical malpractice require specialized knowledge. While an attorney cannot disclose details of another client’s case, he or she can provide numbers for how many cases have been handled and won.

3. Skill to Support the Advertising

Not all billboard attorneys are bad, but if you are hiring an attorney based only on what you have seen in television or print, you might not be happy with the results. Get a personalized evaluation with one or more attorneys before hiring one to represent you. It’s important to get an idea of how your case will be handled and make sure that you are happy with the method.

4. A Compatible Personality

It is more important than one might think that you and your attorney get along well. While you should not base your decision entirely on personality, some people just do not click. Most people make this evaluation based on nothing more than intuition and a first impression. Remember, you may spend quite some time with the person you hire.

5. An Affordable Fee Structure

Quality service comes with a cost. When you need the best, it’s important to realize that it will not be cheap. However, most personal injury attorneys will not charge a client until the case is complete. There may be a percentage of your payout taken as a fee, as well as charges for specific procedures.

Once you have found a personal injury attorney in Chicago that meets your requirements, you can be satisfied that you are getting the best representation possible.