Selecting the right Tampa car accident lawyer to represent you after you’ve been injured in an accident is one of the most important things that you can do to successfully move your case forward. If you’re buying a building to put a small manufacturing business in, you’ll want to work with a knowledgeable commercial real estate lawyer. When your manufacturing facility is ready to be up and running, you’re likely to need an effective transactional attorney. If you were injured, or you lost a family member in any type of accident, you’ll want an experienced and respected Tampa personal injury lawyer.
Do Your Research
There are many lawyers in the Tampa area who hold themselves out as personal injury lawyers, but when you start digging, you might find that they also practice in areas like criminal defense, divorce or even probate. You want a Tampa lawyer who focuses his or her practice solely on personal injury law and not an individual who knows a little bit of everything about major practice areas. An attorney representing you who has a practice limited to personal injury will be known to both insurance companies and their defense counsel. They’ll know that you’re serious.
The Initial Consultation
If an attorney wants a fee just to review your case, that should be a big red flag. You’ll want to interview with a Tampa personal injury attorney who offers potential personal injury clients free consultations and case reviews. You were injured as a result of the carelessness and negligence of somebody else. If you’ve been injured and out of work for weeks or months, the last thing you need is your lawyer insisting on more money from you to keep your case alive. If a quality Tampa personal injury lawyer agrees to be retained in your case, those costs should be advanced on your behalf.
The Retainer Agreement
In any personal injury case, you don’t want a law firm that will bill you hourly or by payment of a retainer upfront billed against an hourly rate. Look for a flat contingency fee agreement. A usual and customary agreement would provide for the law firm being paid a sum equal to one-third of any sums derived by settlement or award. That law firm would advance all costs necessary to properly maintain your case. Those costs might include but not be limited to copies of medical records and bills, filing and service fees, court reporter and transcript fees and witness fees. If a lawyer isn’t prepared to advance those costs on your behalf, contact us to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. We’ll be pleased to answer your questions, advise you of all of your legal options and tell you what we think we can do for you.
Get it in Writing
Florida law requires any contingency fee agreement to be in writing. If a lawyer refuses to provide you with a copy of a proposed contingency fee agreement, take a walk. Assuming that you do retain a Tampa personal injury lawyer to retain you on a contingency fee basis, make sure that you have a copy of your retainer agreement in hand when you leave that lawyer’s office. We make sure that our new clients have documentation of everything.
You’ll also want a personal injury lawyer who communicates with you and keeps you advised of the developments in your case. We recognize that responsibility and take pride in our efforts on maintaining client contact. Trust your gut. If you’re comfortable with a Tampa personal injury lawyer’s ethics, experience and personality, you’ve probably found a good match. You’ll find that match with us. Contact us today for your complimentary consultation.