Over 169,900 unintentional injury deaths occurred in the span of a single year. If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you understand the toll it can take. In many cases, wrongful death incidents are caused by another party’s negligence.
It’s difficult enough to work through the grief of losing a loved one. By pursuing a wrongful death case, you could receive financial compensation for your loss.
Hiring the best wrongful death attorney in the area will make all the difference. Before you start searching “wrongful death lawyer near me,” it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Otherwise, you could end up with a lawyer who lacks the experience you need.
Here are five expert tips that can help you find a wrongful death attorney. With these tips, you can hire the best legal attorney around.
Start your search with these five helpful tips today!
1. Experience and Expertise
Before you search for a “wrongful death lawyer near me” online, take the time to consider your case.
What type of wrongful death case are you building? What happened to cause you to lose a loved one in the first place?
Different situations can lead to wrongful deaths, including:
- Medical malpractice
- Animal bites
- Product liability
- Assault and battery
- Slip and fall incidents
- Auto accidents
You can split many of these situations into smaller sub-categories. For example, various types of medical malpractice include medication errors, surgical errors, or misdiagnosis. An auto accident might include cars, trucks, motorcycles, or even an Uber.
When you look for a wrongful death attorney, you want to make sure they have the right experience and expertise for your case.
Track Record
Once you determine the type of case you have, find a lawyer with experience with those cases.
How many wrongful death cases like yours have they handled over the years? How many of those cases were recent?
Laws and procedures can change. You want to make sure their knowledge is up-to-date.
Next, determine their wins versus losses. How many similar cases has the wrongful death attorney won over the years? How many of those cases were recent?
Make sure to compare their overall wins and losses with their recent track record. You might realize they’ve approved overtime.
Next, make sure the lawyer is licensed to practice law. You can check their standing on your local bar associate website.
Make sure they have plenty of courtroom experience, too. Otherwise, you might find yourself in trouble if the case goes to court.
2. Client Testimonials
It’s not enough to find an experienced lawyer in your area. If you want to find the best wrongful death attorney around, look at their clients. Their previous clients will give you a better idea of how your own case might progress.
First, ask your inner circle if they’ve worked with a wrongful death attorney in the past.
Did they enjoy working with that lawyer? Did they experience any problems? Would they recommend you hire someone else?
Learn as much as you can about their experience. Was the lawyer a good listener and strong communicator? Did they dedicate time and attention to your friend’s case?
If you don’t know anyone that hired a wrongful death attorney, that’s okay. Head online to find reviews on the lawyer’s Google My Business listing. The Better Business Bureau is a great resource, too.
You can also check the Martindale-Hubbell directory for a list of lawyers in the area.
The lawyer population is about 15% higher than it was 10 years ago. If you want to find the best legal attorney around, read a handful of reviews. Learn about their professional reputation as much as possible before making your choice.
3. Their Connections
Your wrongful death attorney might need to call on expert witnesses when building your case. When searching for a lawyer, make sure to learn what you can about their network.
An experienced lawyer should already have a network of qualified professionals they can call on. Expert testimonials could help your lawyer prove the other party was negligent. The guilty party will have to take responsibility for your loved one’s death as a result.
There are many different types of experts your lawyer might call on, depending on your case. For example, in a medical malpractice case, they might call on a doctor.
The medical expert can prove the doctor you’re suing didn’t take proper action during the course of treating your loved one.
Is the lawyer you want to hire part of a legal organization? If so, they might have additional experience that could benefit your case. For example, there are national and state organizations that specialize in wrongful death cases.
4. Schedule a Consultation
As you begin narrowing down your options, schedule a consultation with the remaining lawyers on your list. Meeting them in person will help you determine if they’re the right fit for your case.
During your consultation, ask any questions you couldn’t answer during your research. These can include:
- Are you available to take my case?
- How many other cases are you working on right now?
- Do you have malpractice insurance?
- Are you confident about my chances with this case?
- Will you take my case, or will someone else at your firm step in?
- What certifications or special skills do you have?
- What is your payment structure like?
If the lawyer makes an outlandish claim about their abilities to win your case, walk away. Instead, look for someone who is transparent about your chances.
5. The Contract
After each consultation meeting, make sure to get a copy of the contract.
Can you afford the lawyer’s cost? What fee structure do they use?
Some lawyers work on a retainer. Others work on a contingency fee basis. In other words, they’ll only take a percentage of what you win from your case.
If you have any questions about the contract, make sure to ask.
Searching for a Wrongful Death Lawyer Near Me: The 5 Expert Tips You Need
Don’t hire the first wrongful death attorney you come across. Instead, keep these five tips in mind. By using these expert tips, you can search for a wrongful death lawyer near me and find the one you need!
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