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How To Find the Best Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyer

How To Find the Best Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical malpractice is more common than most people think. Recent studies show that medical errors may account for more than 250,000 deaths per year in the United States. 

If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice in Atlanta, GA, seek legal help. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can explain your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve.

Tips for Finding the Best Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Atlanta

Medical malpractice cases often arise out of complex circumstances. The complexity, combined with tort laws and tort reform, can make it difficult for victims to get the compensation they deserve. 

A good medical malpractice attorney understands how to navigate this process and get results for clients. To get the best outcome, victims need a skilled attorney who understands Georgia tort law and has experience with similar cases. 

Finding a lawyer who is a good fit can be difficult. Here are some tips to help guide you through the process. 

Ask for Referrals 

A trusted referral is one of the best ways to find a good medical malpractice lawyer. If you have worked with lawyers before – for example, a real estate lawyer, a divorce attorney, or an estate planning lawyer – you can ask them for a referral. 

If not, reach out to any family or friends who have dealt with medical malpractice lawyers or who have a trusted attorney you can talk to. 

It’s ideal to create a list of a few lawyers that you can talk to, so getting referrals is a good first step. 

Do Plenty of Research 

Once you get referrals, you can research those lawyers to see whether they’re a good fit for your case. Read about their experience, the types of cases they deal with, and their results. You should also read reviews and client testimonials, as these will tell you a lot. 

If you want additional names, check out professional networks – for example, the Georgia Bar Association or legal directories such as Avvo and Justia – for additional referrals. Make sure that you’re familiar with the specialty area, reviews, and experience of all lawyers on your shortlist. 

For example, Adam Malone, an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer, is an active member in good standing and has been licensed for 24 years. You can find this information on his Avvo profile

Attorney Adam Malone - Avvo Profile

Schedule an Initial Consultation

Almost all attorneys offer a free initial consultation. Once you have a short list of Atlanta attorneys who might be a good fit for your case, you should schedule a free consultation with each of them. During this consultation, you’ll want to evaluate their legal skills and determine whether they’re someone you want to work with. 

Here are some questions to ask during this consultation: 

  • How does the lawyer charge clients? Most medical malpractice attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means that they only get paid if your case is successful. It’s important to understand their fee structure and their policy for case expenses. For example, will costs like court fees, court reporters, and expert witnesses be billed to you regardless of whether or not you win the case? You should specifically ask about fee structure, contingency fee percentages, and case expenses. 
  • Who will handle your case? At some larger law firms, you’ll meet with a partner, but a newer associate will handle your case. It’s important to understand who will be handling your case and how many lawyers will be working on your case. 
  • How will you get case updates? Medical malpractice cases can be long and sometimes move slowly. Communication and case updates are a common source of frustration between attorneys and clients. To avoid that frustration, ask how you will get case updates, how frequently you will get case updates, and who you will contact with questions. It can be helpful to ask if there is an assistant or paralegal who you can contact in addition to the lead attorney. 
  • Ask for the lawyer’s opinion of your case. You will learn a lot from hearing what an attorney thinks about a case – including strong points and weak points. This analysis should include a general strategy and plan for getting you the compensation you deserve. The lawyer’s initial analysis of your case should give you a sense of their experience and expertise with your type of case. 

Asking these questions (and any others you may have) can help you get important insights into what working with the lawyer might look like.

Contact an Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation

If you’ve been a victim of medical negligence in Atlanta, an attorney can help you navigate a complex process and get compensation for all of your losses. Finding the right lawyer will improve your experience and lead to better results. 

How To Make Sure You Get Compensated After Suffering a Personal Injury

How To Make Sure You Get Compensated After Suffering a Personal Injury

Sustaining an injury in a slip and fall accident, automobile accident, or another personal injury case can be overwhelming. In addition to the pain and suffering you experience, you could incur substantial bills, expenses, and financial losses. 

The situation is incredibly frustrating when your injury was caused by another person’s negligence or intentional acts. You would not be in this position had it not been for another party’s reckless acts. 

The good news is that personal injury laws give you the legal right to file a claim for damages. The party responsible for causing your injury can be legally liable for your economic damages, including lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses. You can also seek compensation for your emotional distress, pain, and suffering.

As the injured victim, you must prove your case, which can be challenging. However, here are some ways you can ensure you get compensated for personal injury claims

Gather Evidence from the Accident Scene 

Proving fault for an accident begins with the evidence you collect at the accident scene. Tips include:

  • Take photographs of the accident scene, including what caused your injury and property damage
  • Make a video of the accident scene in case you overlooked something when taking photos
  • Gather information from the witnesses so your lawyer can contact them for formal statements
  • Ask for a copy of the completed accident report 

Don’t say anything that could imply you accept blame for causing the accident or think you could be partly to blame. Avoid talking about the details of the accident to anyone other than the police officer.

Seek Immediate Medical Treatment for Injuries

It is generally a good idea to receive medical attention, regardless of whether you’ve sustained an obvious injury. Some injuries do not present themselves at the scene of the accident.

Therefore, don’t refuse treatment at the accident scene. Instead, go to the hospital or a physician as soon as possible. 

Delays in medical attention could hurt your case and keep you from receiving compensation for injuries. If you wait too long to see a doctor, the insurance company might fight your claim. The insurance adjuster might say the accident did not cause your injuries or you failed to mitigate damages.

On the other hand, seeking prompt medical care can strengthen your personal injury case. You must prove the accident caused your injuries. Detailed medical records become key evidence in a personal injury case. 

Don’t Discuss Your Injuries or Accident Case

Only discuss your case with your personal injury lawyer. Talking with an attorney before you speak with the insurance company is best. Also, avoid social media, blogs, and other online posting sites.

Posting information online could hurt your case. Insurance companies perform thorough searches for evidence online. An innocent post saying you are okay could be twisted to argue you were not injured.

Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer 

Having a trusted legal team handle your case could be one of the most important choices you make to help you get compensation after a personal injury. Handling your claim without legal advice and guidance often results in a much lower settlement amount. 

The insurance company has a team protecting it from liability. It is virtually impossible to fight those resources on your own. Instead, you can hire a personal injury law firm to even the playing field. Your attorney has the resources, skills, and experience to go up against insurance companies and win.

However, don’t just hire a lawyer. Instead, hire an attorney with considerable experience handling cases like yours. For example, if a car wreck caused your injury, hire a car accident attorney. But if you were injured in a slip and fall, hire lawyer with experience in premises liability law.

Complete Medical Treatment and Be Patient

A personal injury case can take time to settle, so you need to be patient to get fair compensation for a personal injury or accident. 

First, you don’t want to settle your claim before you complete medical treatment. Otherwise, you are responsible for future medical bills and losses. You also need to know if you sustained a permanent impairment that could substantially increase your claim’s value. 

Second, your lawyer needs time to investigate your claim and gather evidence. The more evidence you present, the better your chance of receiving maximum compensation for a personal injury. 

Being patient could result in much more money in your pocket at the end of your case. 

Listen to Your Personal Injury Attorney and Follow Their Advice

An insurance company might make a quick settlement offer. Don’t fall for it. Initial settlement offers are usually much lower than what your case is worth.

The insurance company knows you want to settle your case quickly. Therefore, it makes an offer and hopes you take it so the company can avoid paying a more considerable amount. 

Your lawyer understands how much your case is worth. So listen to your attorney’s advice about accepting a settlement offer. 

The choice is yours, but you hired your attorney for their expertise. If your attorney says the settlement offer is too low, don’t take the offer. 

It can be difficult waiting for a personal injury settlement. However, when you hire the right attorney and are patient, you have a much better chance of receiving the money you deserve.

How to Find the Right Personal Injury Attorney in Austin, TX

How to Find the Right Personal Injury Attorney in Austin, TX

There are a glut of attorneys in the U.S. In fact, lawyers are the 25th most common profession in the country. There are over 108,000 active attorneys in Texas alone. 

With this many lawyers around, it can be hard to know how to find the right one for your case. This article discusses how to find the right personal injury lawyer in Austin. Read on for key tips that can help you in your search for legal representation

1. Searching the Internet 

Searching the internet for an Austin personal injury lawyer

The internet is the most common method for finding a lawyer. Over 90% of consumers use a search engine when looking for legal services. Google, of course, is the most popular search engine.

You can begin your search for a lawyer on Google. You can search for keyword terms like “personal injury lawyer near me” or “Austin personal injury lawyer.” This search will provide you with a list of lawyers and law firms in your area.

A Google search should be the beginning — not the end — of your search. You can’t automatically assume that law firms that appear on the first page of Google are the best firms to handle your injury case. They may just have the biggest marketing budgets or the most search-engine-friendly websites. 

Therefore, you should always conduct further research on the attorneys you find on Google or other search engines.

2. Legal Directories

Legal directories provide an excellent way to do more in-depth research on a particular personal injury lawyer. Directories provide useful information about an attorney, including their contact information, years of experience, practice areas, awards, and disciplinary history, among other things. Many directories also provide a rating for the attorney based on peer reviews and/or information in their profile. 

We’ll go over the most popular legal directories below.

Avvo

Avvo is perhaps the most well-known legal directory and attorney rating service. The platform creates a profile for every licensed lawyer it can identify — which includes 97% of attorneys in the U.S.

Avvo rates lawyers on a scale of 1.0 – 10.0 based on the information lawyers include in their profiles and information from state bar organizations.

Avvo also has a spot for “customer reviews,” where former clients can rate their experience with a lawyer out of five stars. For example, if you are reviewing personal injury lawyers in Austin on Avvo, you will see a one to five-star client rating below the attorney’s name.

Avvo allows you to get a comprehensive look at the quality of an attorney’s legal services. Ideally, you’d want to hire someone who has an Avvo Rating of 10, such as Joshua Fogelman, a personal injury lawyer in Austin at FVF Law Firm.

Justia

Justia has a large directory of lawyer profiles. Like Avvo, the platform uses a 1.0 – 10.0 rating system for attorneys. However, a lawyer’s rating is based solely on peer reviews from other attorneys who have worked with the lawyer. Justia provides specific 1.0 – 5.0 ratings for an attorney’s legal knowledge, legal analysis, communication skills, and ethics/professionalism.

Justia provides you with a glimpse of what the legal community thinks about a lawyer.

Findlaw

Findlaw has one of the largest online lawyer directories on the internet. FindLaw does not have its own rating system. Rather, an attorney’s Findlaw rating is based on the average of all the attorney’s client reviews on their profile. Clients can rate a lawyer from one to five stars. 

Findlaw offers a good opportunity to find out what former clients have to say about their experience with a lawyer.

3. Online Reviews

As noted above, many online legal directories provide a terrific source of client reviews. However, Google is the gold standard for attorney reviews — and will be the place you’ll likely find the most client reviews and ratings for a lawyer or law firm. 

You can typically find an attorney’s Google reviews on their Google Business Profile listing. This listing should come up with you search the attorney or firm name on Google. You can also type the name or the term “personal injury lawyer” into Google Maps to see the results with reviews.

Online reviews - personal injury lawyer in Austin

Take time to read the reviews of a lawyer you’re considering hiring. Read the good reviews and the bad reviews. Take note of how the attorney responds to negative reviews. Are they professional and empathetic, or are they petty and aggressive? This information can give you insight into what the lawyer would be like to work with. 

4. Texas State Bar 

State Bar of Texas

The State Bar of Texas website can be a valuable asset in your search for an attorney. The bar operates an attorney referral service for individuals looking for legal services. This service will refer you to a lawyer in your geographic area that best matches your legal needs. 

The Bar also has a directory of all active and inactive attorneys in Texas. This directory will tell you the lawyer’s contact info, date of licensure, and disciplinary history, among other things. 

5. Prepare for Your Consultation With an Injury Lawyer

Prepare for Your Consultation With an Injury Lawyer

Identifying a lawyer is only the first step in finding the best legal professional for your case. Your initial consultation will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision. Most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations. So, be sure to make the most of it.

Prepare a list of questions for your injury attorney to help you determine if they’ll be a good fit for your case. At a minimum, you should ask about:

  • Their years of experience
  • Their history of handlings cases like yours
  • Whether they exclusively practice personal injury law
  • Whether they have trial experience
  • Whether they’ll hire experts to help with your case
  • Their fee structure
  • Their estimation of the value of your personal Injury claim

Preparing a list of questions can help you stay on task during your consultation. It can also help you remember all the things you want to discuss in the meeting. 

You should walk away from your consultation with a pretty good idea of the attorney’s personality and whether they are they right lawyer for your case. You should feel free to have multiple initial consultations to make sure you get the right legal representation. After all, it can take a few tries to find the best personal injury lawyer in Austin, TX.