Submitted by Walker61 on Tue, 11/10/2009 - 10:38
I live in Massachusetts and recently was injured in a way that I think was negligent. My wife and I think I should sue. But there are so many personal injury lawyers out there (have you ever looked in the yellow pages?). Any tips on picking a good one? I read your last posting about big or small firms, but what about just deciding where to start?
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Editor's Response
LOL. Yes, I have looked in the yellow pages and, you are correct, there are quite a few Massachusetts personal injury lawyers. I do not think there is an easy way to choose an attorney in this situation, but because the choice is so important, it's worth spending a little time and energy to find someone with the skills and work style that will satisfy your needs.
If I were looking for a personal injury lawyer, I would meet a few and ask some questions. I would want to know how long they have done personal injury work, how many cases they have actually taken to trial (as opposed to settling with the insurance companies), and how many cases have they handled that are similar to mine. In other words, if I were injured in a car accident, I would want to know that my prospective attorney has a lot of car accident injury case experience.
I would also need to know what their policy is on returning client calls and updating the client on developments. I would ask, for example, how they typically update clients (calls, emails, snail mail), and how often.
This is not a foolproof method of selecting lawyers, clearly, but the process itself can be helpful. When you are talking to the lawyer, how does he/she make you feel? Does he address your questions with honesty and patience? Remember, he will be on his best behavior during this first meeting, so if he does not impress, move on. Also, make sure you meet and talk to to the lawyers who will actually handle your case. In larger firms, it is not uncommon for one attorney to meet the client initially and then assign the case to other or junior attorneys.
I would also ask the lawyer for a couple of client references. While it is true she is likely to give you the names of clients that she feels will support him, with a bit of hard questioning you may be able to get valuable information from these former clients, especially on such important issue as whether the attorney returns call promptly and keeps clients up to date.
Finally, I would go to web site for the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers (www.mass.gov/obcbbo) and make sure the the personal injury lawyers I am considering have not been disciplined or sanctioned. Click on "Look up Lawyers Address and Status." Good luck, and please try our Directory when you are ready to find a Massachusetts lawyer.