RThe Virginia State Bar Won’t Let Us Say We’re The Best Personal Injury Lawyers In Virginia
Before you talk to an insurance adjuster, sign a release, or give a recorded statement, you should definitely read this article to find the best personal injury lawyers in Virginia. But, be forewarned, reading this article may substantially increase the odds of you finding the right lawyer for your personal injury matters versus getting a lawyer who is simply using actors in commercials to help promote their law firm.
Things You Should Know When Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer:
1) Training and Education. Not all personal injury attorneys have equal training and preparation to handle a personal injury case. While all lawyers graduated from law school (or at least we hope), not all of them continue to attend training specifically to help personal injury victims throughout their careers. You need an experienced personal injury attorney handling your personal injury lawsuit.
2) Personal Injury Litigation. Not all lawyers go or are willing to go to trial. Some lawyers who advertise for personal injury cases have never been to trial for a Virginia personal injury case. Other lawyers might be part of a big law firm known as a “settlement mill” that will hurriedly settle your car accident claim to turn a profit. These lawyers will not likely be seen as a threat to an insurance company or insurance defense firm. Often, these lawyers will fail to maximize the full settlement potential of the case, especially if the case involves catastrophic injuries.
3) Specialized Lawyer. A lawyer who is good at handling DUI, criminal, or divorce cases, isn’t necessarily good at handling personal injury cases. Today, the practice of law has become highly specialized and it is extremely time consuming to stay up-to-date on many distinct practice areas. While there are many facets of personal injury law, such as truck accidents, car accidents, traumatic brain injuries, wrongful death, medical malpractice, dog bites, slip and falls, product liability, etc., those types of cases are very different from divorce cases, for example. You need an experienced personal injury lawyer who regularly handles personal injury claims.
4) False Advertising. The fact that a lawyer advertises for personal injury cases does not necessarily mean that he or she has any experiences with those types of cases. While the Virginia State Bar says we can’t say we’re the “best personal injury lawyers in Virginia,” there is no rule against a lawyer advertising for a type of case that he or she has absolutely no experience handling. In this way, there are many misleading personal injury lawyer ads in Virginia.
5) Internet Directories. Many internet lawyer “directories” are really just another form of advertising. Usually, the only requirement to be in these directories is payment of a membership fee.
Personal Injury Attorney
Recently, another lawyer contacted our office with a case that he wanted to “share” with our law firm. We asked that the lawyer send us the documents he had gathered in his file on the client. As we reviewed the few documents that had been obtained, we discovered that the time limit for filing a lawsuit was going to expire in several days, there were few medical records and medical bills in the file, there was little to no investigation of the accident scene, and the lawyer had never intended to file suit on the client’s behalf. Instead, he had hoped he could make a quick settlement (the “settlement mill” type), so he waited to contact a lawyer who could handle filing suit and possibly a trial until the last possible minute. This is a perfect example of a lawyer who shouldn’t be handling personal injury cases, even though he or she may advertise for them. This is not the type of lawyer you want handling your injury case.
While we can’t change the fact that lawyers who are not experienced in personal injury cases will advertise for them, we can help you determine what questions to ask of a potential attorney and what so-called “qualifications” actually mean something in how a case turns out.
How to find the best personal injury lawyer for your case? Some people put more time and effort into buying their shampoo than choosing their lawyer. But, making sure you pick the best law firm to handle your case is very important. To make sure you choose wisely, here are some steps to take:
Personal Injury Cases: How to Choose a Lawyer
1) Ask your friends and family if they have used a personal injury lawyer in the past. If so, ask them if they would use him or her again.
2) Check out the internet for lawyers who specialize in personal injury cases. A lawyer who specializes in motor vehicle accidents and other personal injuries is generally going to be a better option for you than a “jack of all trades.” These types of law firms are basically telling you that they are basically “average at everything.”
3) Narrow your choices to a couple of attorneys and ask them these questions:
a) How long have you been in practice?
b) Do you have actual experience handling personal injury (or your type) cases?
c) Can I read about your track record of successes in personal injury cases?
d) Have you published any books or guides for consumers? (Check out our firm’s “Your Rights After a Serious Auto Accident” book here)
e) Are you board certified?*
f) Are you listed in SuperLawyers?**
g) What is your Martindale-Hubbell rating?***
h) Do you spend at least 80% of your time representing individuals against insurance companies in injury, disability, and malpractice cases?
Independent Ratings Agencies
* Board Certification
Did you know there is a national certification process for lawyers? The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) certifies lawyers in several specialties including civil litigation. The NBTA is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) to certify lawyers in the areas of civil, criminal, and family law trial advocacy. To be board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, lawyers must:
- Be in good standing with their local bar
- Concentrate on a specialty of trial advocacy
- Submit a writing sample
- Participate in at least 45 hours of continuing legal education in the last 3 years
- Provide references from three judges and three lawyers familiar with his or her court room abilities
- Have been lead counsel in a substantial number of trials taken to verdict or judgment
- Have been lead counsel in at least 40 contested matters involving the taking of evidence, such as hearings, motions or depositions
- Pass a trial technique evidence and ethics essay exam that lasts six hours
See, NBTA.org
** Martindale Hubbell’s “AV Preeminent Rating”
What does it mean when an attorney says they are “AV Preeminent” rated by Martindale-Hubbell? Martindale-Hubbell is a company offering a directory and comprehensive guide to all lawyers. In addition to its directory, Martindale-Hubbell also offers a ratings system for lawyers where no one can pay for a high rating. Lawyers in Martindale-Hubbell are judged by their peers on legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, judgment, experience, and the standard of ability in that lawyer’s specialty. A lawyer who has an “AV Preeminent” rating has been judged by his or her peers to perform at the highest level of professional excellence.
*** Super Lawyers
Super Lawyers selects attorneys for inclusion in its directory through a rigorous, multiphase rating process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third party research to rank the very best lawyers. Each candidate is evaluated on indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Recently, the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld the findings of a lower ruling stating that Super Lawyers is a comprehensive, good faith, and detailed attempt to produce a list of lawyers that have attained high peer recognition, meet ethical standards and have demonstrated some degree of achievement in their fields.
Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer: Last Piece of Advice
One last important piece of advice. . . You should be careful of some of those 1-800-LAWYER type phone numbers and similar personal injury advertisement. In some instances, people who call those numbers are routed through a call center which randomly sends your call to the next attorney in line. You may think you’re calling one lawyer when in fact you are routing to another.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, check out the credentials of the Ritchie Law Firm. We have a proven track record of success in helping injured victims and have been certified as well as highly ranked and rated by the above listed agencies. Talk to us and ask us what we bring to your case that other lawyers do not. There is absolutely no charge to talk to a lawyer. If you decide you’d like our help, we don’t charge a fee unless we win your case.
If you or a loved one have been injured and have a personal injury claim, knowing your rights will be of utmost importance. It will be important for you to understand how to receive compensation for your injuries, medical expenses and lost wages, and to understand how pain and suffering are determined. These are usually questions that you’ll want answered by a personal injury lawyer who is experienced in handling these types of cases. Even if you decide not to hire an accident lawyer in Va to help with your case, most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations to help answer your questions.
Ritchie Law Firm: Accidental Injury Attorney
The Ritchie Law Firm is a car accident attorney firm for Virginia and West Virginia accidents. Our experienced car accident attorneys have helped thousands of injured people beat back the insurance company and get back on their feet. If you have a car crash case, you will NEED experienced auto accident lawyers helping you. Contact the car accident attorneys at the Ritchie Law Firm for a free, no strings attached consultation. It is important to get the right personal injury lawyer for your case.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Virginia, the Ritchie Law Firm is here to help. DON’T GET HURT TWICE!! If you are looking for a lawyer, call the Virginia personal injury attorneys at the Ritchie Law Firm today! We are Virginia’s recommended personal injury lawyers. We have helped thousands of injured people get the money they deserve.
Contact the Ritchie Law Firm accident lawyer free consultation by phone at 800-277-6124 or by using our online contact form.
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Ritchie Law Firm is a personal injury and Virginia car accident lawyer/law firm devoted to helping individuals who have suffered serious and catastrophic injuries or lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligence. Ritchie Law Firm serves all of Virginia, while helping clients in cities and surrounding areas of Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Staunton, and Winchester also serves clients in West Virginia, including Martinsburg, WV.
Ritchie Law Firm is a team of car accident lawyers, DC car accident lawyer, neck injury lawyer Richmond VA, tractor trailer attorneys Richmond VA, automobile accident lawyer Richmond VA, bodily injury lawyer, Virginia fire injury attorneys, whiplash lawyer Richmond, truck accident litigation, Richmond truck accident attorney, and auto collision attorney Richmond VA.