Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to find a good attorney so ask your friends and family who they would recommend.  Every time you turn on the TV, you see a commercial talking about how easy it is to hire a TV lawyer and how he or she will “Maximinze the Dollar Value of Your Claim!”.  However, the truth is that you don’t know anything about these attorneys other than that they can afford to advertise on TV.  The best way to find a personal injury lawyer is to talk to people you trust who have had a positive experience with a lawyer.

Scott Tolbert has been practicing in North Georgia for over 26 years and has built a reputation of being knowledgeable, experienced and providing personal representation to each and every client that he represents.

Research attorneys online. Make sure they are licensed and in good standing with the State Bar.  Every State has its own bar association, and all licensed attorneys are registered in its database. You can check an attorney’s status and whether he has been sanctioned or if any disciplinary measures have been leveled against him.  Lawyers receive marks against their professional record whenever an investigation finds that they acted unethically or negligently. While this may not tell the entire story, a lawyer with multiple disciplinary reprimands should set off alarm bells in your head so don’t be afraid to ask direct questions.  This is your case and your life.   You have the right to know about an attorney that you may hire.  Learn more here.

It's always important to ask about fees upfront. Transparency is crucial to a successful attorney-client relationship and you have the absolute right to know exactly what your attorney will charge you. Always get any fee agreement in writing.  Personal injury attorneys normally work on contingency, receiving between 33%-40% of the eventual settlement or judgment, plus expenses. Regardless, clarify what the lawyer means when he or she says "no fee if no recovery." Make sure you understand the attorney's fees from the start.

Find out the extent of their training as well as their legal experience.  Some good questions are:

• "How long have you been practicing?"
• "What percentage of your cases are personal injury?"
• "Will you personally handle my case?"
  
  

Find out if the lawyer you're contacting is actually the lawyer who will represent you. Many of the lawyers that advertise on TV saying that they will “fight for you.”   Unfortunately, many of them have never tried a case and simply refer everything out to the real trial attorneys.  Don’t be afraid to ask a direct question like:

• “If negotiations fail, are you prepared to file suit and go to trial?”
• “When is the last case that you took to a jury trial and what was the result?”
  
  

You should also feel free to ask them the names of the parties to that case and the county in which the trial was conducted.  This information is available through the public records and, if they won’t tell you, it’s a “red flag” that you are not getting the whole truth.

Along these same lines, make sure that you speak to the lawyer who will be handling your case.  If a lawyer can't take time out of his or her day to talk to you personally, then you can rest assured that this attitude will be carried throughout the rest of your case.

Finally, you should trust your instincts.  Pick a personal injury attorney that genuinely cares about you as a person and your long-term well-being. Some attorneys care more about the value of the case than they do about you as a client.  To them, you are not a person in need of help but a “profit center” that they can use to line their pockets.  An attorney should take the time to discuss and understand your case before agreeing to represent you.  He or she should be honest about the weaker parts of your case as well as discussing its strengths. Trust your gut when choosing an attorney. If it doesn’t feel right, move on to another attorney immediately.