7 Things to Look for When Hiring a Car Accident Injury Lawyer

In the difficult days following a car accident, a great attorney can have a dramatic and positive impact on your life. They can offer advice, develop your case, and fight for fair financial compensation. But what constitutes a great car accident injury lawyer in San Antonio? Continue reading for traits that are common to the hardest working and most successful attorneys.

7 Things to Look for When Hiring a Car Accident Injury Lawyer in San Antonio

1. A Professional Office

An organized, professional office space usually indicates your attorney runs a reputable business. This may seem insignificant, but organization is crucial to ethics, strong communication, and efficiency. Any dereliction in these traits can have a detrimental effect on your case. Imagine if your case files were lost within the contents of another client’s file; or, worse, your attorney missed a court filing deadline because their office is poorly run.

You can tell if your attorney’s office is organized by simply looking around. Do other staff members appear to be effectively working? Does your lawyer’s desk look like it’s orderly? On the other hand, if your lawyer is rifling through files or team members look frazzled, you may want to place your trust in another team.

2. An Ethical Demeanor

Lawyers are bound by a code of ethics that is both stringent and extensive. They’re expected to conform to the law at all times in their personal and business lives. This does not mean, however, that a car accident injury lawyer in San Antonio can manipulate the law to their benefit. Instead, an attorney should use legal procedures only for legitimate purposes and, at the same time, show respect for the legal system and its representatives.

Ultimately, your lawyer should speak courteously to you, your family, and even the other driver. They should take time to answer your questions and behave in a circumspect manner at all times. Last but not least, your lawyer should use the law to represent you and your rights, not to harass or intimidate others.

3. Clear Communication

A reputable abogado de accidente de auto en San Antonio will clearly explain all aspects of your case. They will outline what they can do to fight for monetary damages caused by the accident and provide details about their fees, processes, techniques, and more.

Any questions you have should be similarly answered in a direct and pointed manner. If you leave the lawyer’s office feeling shaken or confused, this may signal you will have communication issues in the future.

4. References

It’s not only acceptable to ask a potential attorney for references but expected. Those references should give you a sense of how the attorney operates, including their timeliness in completing tasks and the frequency with which they provide updates. To simplify a conversation with references, you can ask them the same questions you would ask the attorney: the difference is that references are likely to speak even more candidly.

5. Empathy

Empathy essentially boils down to the ability to relate to others. Many attorneys lack this fundamental quality not because they are cruel but because they are trained to poke holes in others’ stories. Yet, an attorney who has taken the time to cultivate empathy will ask more profound questions and respond to your situation with compassion and understanding. In short, this quality will help you feel like a valued member of the lawyer’s inner circle.

6. Willingness to Listen

A trait that few associate with successful lawyers is the willingness to listen. Listening is a vital component of overall communication skills, meaning this skill can help your attorney:

Communicate more effectively with you
Negotiate more competently
Answer others’ questions more responsively

A Direct Influence on Your Case

Listening can also help your attorney more fully comprehend what another person is saying. Yes, this relates to their conversations with you but can also influence your case’s likelihood of success.

Listening to what the witnesses and opposing counsel say can open the door to even more information than an attorney may have first realized is available. In other words, listening allows an attorney to accept and analyze information and then create a plan of action.

7. Experience

Personal injury attorneys often focus on a specific type of case. Some specialize in class action lawsuits against product manufacturers while others handle workplace injuries. Because you were injured in a car accident, you want an attorney rooted in auto accident cases. They should have experience settling out of court as well as taking cases all the way to trial. Along with the necessary background, your lawyer should also have a winning track record.

Finding the right attorney for your case may take a little time, but your diligence will likely pay dividends; you will pair with a professional capable of and suitable to managing your complex situation. You can make the search process easier by knowing the traits to look for in a legal team. An organized office, commitment to ethics, and clear communication skills should be complemented by empathy, a willingness to listen, and experience in auto accident injuries.