Hiring a South Carolina injury law firm to represent you can be a challenging ordeal. There is no shortage of attorneys willing to take on your personal injury case, with many promising you a certain outcome or resolution before they even evaluate your case. As well-meaning as some of these attorneys may be, not every person with a law degree and license is adequately equipped to protect your legal rights and help you obtain the compensation you need following an injury accident.
The Importance of Hiring the Right Attorney
Unfortunately, retaining the services of the wrong attorney can have a disastrous effect on any claim for compensation you may have. Any mistakes that your lawyer makes are usually attributable to you: If your attorney misses an important filing deadline, for instance, or fails to file an appropriate motion in your case, there is often little that you, the injury victim, can do to correct such mistakes. How, then, can you know which attorney is well-suited to handle your case?
Qualities Your South Carolina Personal Injury Attorney Should Possess
When looking for a personal injury lawyer to handle your case, look for one that possesses the following qualities:
- Honesty: Beware the attorney who seems to promise you the world, especially without having even reviewed the evidence in your case. Some attorneys will “oversell” their client’s case to them, promising thousands of dollars in compensation, quick payouts, and anything else that tickles the ears of the particular client. In a personal injury case, it is better to have an attorney who will be upfront with you about the positive and negative happenings in your case as opposed to an attorney who simply tells you what you might want to hear. Having all the facts available to you is essential to making good decisions about how to proceed with your case.
- Experience: Every attorney who has practiced for any number of years can boast of his or her “experience” as a lawyer, but your South Carolina personal injury case demands more than this. While the law applicable in personal injury cases has not changed much over the generations, advocacy tactics, sciences and other disciplines pertinent to a personal injury case, and local court rules that govern how a case is presented in a particular court can – and do – change with time. The more an attorney practices in the field of South Carolina personal injury law, the more likely it is that the attorney will be familiar and comfortable with the changes that might impact your case.
- Tenacity: It is true that the majority of personal injury cases settle before either party ever sees the inside of a courtroom, but this does not necessarily mean that your personal injury case should settle. There are some cases where the at-fault party will either refuse to accept any responsibility for your injuries or will make a settlement offer that is simply too low to adequately compensate you. In either case, you will want an attorney who is willing to take your case to trial.
- A “good feeling”: While you should not retain an attorney based solely on your feelings, you should not retain an attorney that you do not feel is trustworthy or whose personality seems to conflict with your own. There will be many times during the pendency of your case where you will need to trust that your attorney is taking appropriate actions to advance your case. If you do not feel you can trust a particular attorney enough to make these decisions on your behalf, you may wish to consider finding a different attorney.
Pay attention to other, less obvious qualities as well. Does the attorney treat you with courtesy and respect? Does he or she take the time to answer your questions? Are your calls returned in a timely manner? Is the attorney punctual or does the attorney keep you and other appointments waiting? Does your attorney take the time to learn about your goals and desired outcome, or does the attorney seem interested in hijacking your case and achieving the outcome the attorney believes is best?
Contact an Experienced, Compassionate South Carolina Car Accident Attorney
With over one hundred years of combined legal experience, the South Carolina recovery accident team at Joye Law Firm is dedicated to assisting injury victims in Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and throughout South Carolina recover full and fair compensation for their injuries. Call the firm today, or contact the firm online, and speak with one of the firm’s experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorneys about your case today.
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