Were you seriously injured in a Columbus car accident? If you have high medical bills and are having trouble getting a fair settlement, hiring a car accident injury attorney is the first step to getting those bills paid.
Selecting a Georgia injury lawyer is an important decision; the attorney you choose will affect your case outcome.
How do you find a good personal injury attorney in Columbus?
We suggest following these steps:
1. Make a list of lawyers with experience handling Columbus car accident claims. You can find a list on Google, in the Yellow Pages, or you can ask friends for suggestions.
2. Contact the attorneys on your list and ask the following questions:
- Have you handled cases like mine?
- Can I see case results?
If the personal injury attorney has won large settlements for clients with similar cases, then he is likely to have the experience and expertise to help you.
- Do you have trial experience?
Going to court can be expensive. Insurance companies prefer to avoid that expense and will be more likely to offer a fair settlement, if they believe your attorney is willing to take your case to trial. If your case does end up going to court, you won't have to change attorneys.
- Do you charge an hourly rate or a contingency fee?
While some accident attorneys charge an hourly rate, most personal injury attorneys in Columbus work for a contingency fee. This means that you don't pay any money up front. In fact, you don't pay anything unless the accident attorney wins your case. If you win, the lawyer gets a percentage of the final settlement. This means the lawyer has a stake in getting you a large settlement in a reasonable amount of time. Ask the attorney what the contingency rate is and if there are additional administrative fees.
3. Schedule a free consultation. When you have narrowed your choices to three or four experienced lawyers, call the offices and ask to schedule a free consultation. This is your opportunity to interview personal injury attorneys. A lawyer may have an impressive record, but that doesn't mean he is the right Columbus car accident attorney for you. You may be working with the attorney for months; you therefore want someone you can trust.
Attorney Shane Smith represents accident victims in Columbus & throughout Georgia
If you have been injured in a car crash and would like to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in Columbus, contact Shane Smith Law at (980) 246-2656.
Learn how you can protect your Columbus accident claim and get a better settlement; download a free copy of Shane Smith's book: "10 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Georgia Wreck Case."