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Know What To Look for when Hiring a North Carolina Car Accident Attorney
Here’s what you remember from the night of the accident: a loud BANG, the scream of metal bending, the steering wheel twisting out of your hand, a sudden sharp pain—and then blackness. You woke up in the hospital 14 hours later.
It could have been worse. Nobody died. Your passengers each had only scrapes and bruises. Your car was totaled, and they tell you that there’s now a metal pin in your leg. But still, it could have been much, much worse.
You’ve heard the driver of the 18-wheeler truck had no injuries at all. You don’t wish ill on anyone, but really, is that justice? He fell asleep at the wheel and drove right through that red light. So he ends up with no problems, and you’re looking at a stack of hospital and surgery bills and no income for a couple of months.
Is that Justice?
To answer your rhetorical question: no, there is nothing fair or just about your current situation. But that’s where North Carolina personal injury law comes into the picture. If you have suffered harm due to the irresponsible actions of another person, you have a legal claim against that person. In legal terms, he (or his insurance company) is liable for paying to fix all injuries that result from his negligent behavior.
To recover what you are owed from the liable parties, you need a lawyer to represent you. Finding the right lawyer in New Hanover County can be a challenge. You may receive recommendations from friends, but hiring lawyers is rare enough that you can’t always count on that method. Phone directories—if you can still find any!—just provide names and addresses, with no sense of the type of person this attorney may be. Internet searches can bring up lists of nearby lawyers, but you’re left with the job of sorting through them to find a sympathetic attorney.
So you will have to do some work to find the right lawyer for you. There’s no quick shortcut in the process: you will need to talk to a lot of people. Where we can help you is in suggesting the qualities you should look for in a North Carolina personal injury attorney to represent your interests.
Look for these Four Characteristics
- Experience with your type of case. An attorney who has spent years specializing in bankruptcy litigation would probably be a poor choice as your hired counsel in a Wilmington truck crash lawsuit. Instead, look for someone who has had frequent, recent, and successful experience with auto accident cases.
- Courtroom experience. Most lawsuits are settled by agreement without going to trial—but a jury trial can win larger awards than a conventional settlement. Too many lawyers are eager to settle early so they don’t have to do a lot of work. You need an attorney who isn’t afraid to enter the courtroom and fight for you.
- Accessibility. Once hired, some attorneys treat their clients as annoyances to be ignored. You would probably prefer a lawyer who will give you regular updates as your case progresses, and who always will be willing to return your calls.
- Empathy and compatibility with your personality. You absolutely need to hire a lawyer with whom you can get along. Your attorney’s skill and experience mean nothing if you can’t stand to be in the same room with the guy. It’s vital you have the opportunity to meet with a prospective attorney before you hire him.
Try Speaks Law Firm First
At Speaks Law Firm, we put our clients first. The North Carolina car accident attorneys at our Wilmington office are known for their depth of experience and compassion. Call us at 910-341-7570 or statewide toll-free at 910-341-7570 to schedule a free meeting and evaluation of your case.
We’d like to work with you to get you the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost income, property damage, and other losses. Just for calling us, we will send you a FREE copy of The North Carolina Auto Injury Book as our way of introducing the firm. The book is yours to keep, even if you decide we’re not the right fit for you.
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