How to Hire the Top Personal Injury Lawyer Near You

The average cost of a disabling injury hospital bill is over $100,000. For many victims, the hospital bill is just the beginning. These individuals normally cannot work as they recover from their injuries. During this time, they must deal with overbearing emotional distress.

If you were hurt in a car crash, there is a lot at stake. Furthermore, the insurance company has a team of lawyers working to protect its profits, which means these lawyers do whatever it takes to reduce or deny compensation to victims.

Therefore, every victim needs a tough Rockford personal injury lawyer who is thoroughly prepared, takes on big insurance companies, and fights for maximum compensation. Hundreds of lawyers are probably within easy driving distance of your home or office. However, only a select few have the qualities necessary to be a top personal injury lawyer near you. We outline some of these key qualities below.

Incidentally, and significantly, most Rockford personal injury lawyers work on a contingent fee basis. So, victims pay nothing upfront for top-quality legal representation.

Experience

Law schools teach students about key legal concepts, like first-party negligence and third-party liability. They also teach students how to evaluate facts and think like lawyers. However, no law school teaches other important skills, like gathering evidence in a case, giving legal advice to clients, and negotiating with insurance company lawyers.

Additionally, these skills do not develop overnight. It takes years of experience to fine-tune them. The more experience a lawyer has, the more likely it is that they know what approaches work, and perhaps just as importantly, what approaches do not work.

That being said, long years of experience are not necessarily a good thing. While developing proven methods is important, it is also important to embrace new ideas, especially since personal injury laws in Illinois are constantly changing.

Years of experience can also be deceptive. Many Rockford personal injury lawyers practice law for decades, yet they hardly ever see the inside of a courtroom. Instead, they look for a quick settlement and an easy way out.

Accessibility

This next area is actually two areas. Physical accessibility and professional accessibility are both important for most victims.

Following a serious injury, many victims have difficulty getting around, from a physical standpoint. That is especially true if they are having a bad day. Your lawyer should be physically close to your home or other stomping ground. True, attorneys are available for Zoom online conferences, and you can exchange emails with them as well. But these things do not substitute for face-to-face meetings in the privacy and security of a professional office.

Professional accessibility basically means that your lawyer, and only your lawyer, does most of the work on your case. At large firms, a non-legal assistant or less-experienced associate often does most of the day-to-day work.

On a related note, your lawyer should be responsive to your emails, texts, and phone calls. But if the lawyer always responds right away or always has time to see you in person, that is a bad sign. There is probably a reason the lawyer does not have many clients.

Dedication

Passion fuels purpose. Fundamentally, personal injury lawyers protect the legal and financial rights of accident victims. Additionally, Rockford personal injury lawyers hold negligent parties, whether they are individuals or companies, legally responsible for the injuries they cause. Attorneys who are not dedicated to these causes often run out of fuel for the fire.

That being said, there is strength in diversity. A one-trick pony who only handles certain types of injury cases often cannot think outside the box when necessary.

So, a good rule of thumb is that your attorney should handle all kinds of injury cases, from car crashes and falls to professional negligence matters.

Rely On A Diligent Winnebago County Personal Injury Attorney

Accident victims are usually entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Rockford, contact Fisk & Monteleone, Ltd. by calling 815-315-0574. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.