If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, you will have many decisions to make following the injury. One of those decisions will be to find a personal injury lawyer to represent you and help you determine what your legal options are and the potential compensation.
You will need to do some homework before making a decision on which personal injury lawyer to hire. In an effort to make the process of hiring a lawyer easier, Cuming & Gillespie LLP would like to provide you with the following tips for selecting a personal injury lawyer.
- Expertise and Knowledge Base
Lawyers who are general practitioners handle many different types of legal cases. They do not necessarily specialize in personal injury or medical malpractice matters. Both personal injury and medical malpractice are specialized areas of the law.
If you have suffered a serious personal injury or have been the victim of medical malpractice, you require a lawyer who handles these types of cases on a daily basis. You also require a lawyer who is up to date and following all of the developments in personal injury and medical malpractice law, and specifically the law in Alberta.
It is also important to choose a personal injury lawyer who is familiar with auto accident insurers, insurance adjusters, and defence lawyers and their law firms that are retained by insurance companies to defend claims. A personal injury lawyer with expertise will be highly familiar with these individuals and especially with local defence counsel and local judges who may be involved in your personal injury or medical malpractice case.
We urge you not to make the mistake of choosing a personal injury lawyer from ads you see on billboards, television, or on the back of buses alone. Ads of this nature often do not provide all of the information you require to help make an educated decision regarding who to represent you in your time of need. Furthermore, be wary of personal injury firm ads as some of these firms may not employ local lawyers.
- Financial and Staffing Resources
A lawsuit that involves serious or catastrophic injuries can be very expensive to litigate. Some cases require many medical specialties and the need to hire a number of doctors to act as expert witnesses to deal with issues in each specialty. Some cases may require accident reconstruction experts, trucking safety experts, economists, vocational experts or life care planners.
A lawyer who does not have the adequate resources to fund a case, may be a detriment to his/her client. The client may be pressured into taking an unsatisfactory settlement. It is therefore essential to hire a lawyer with the financial resources, including the ability to hire enough staff, to take a case to trial, if required.
At Cuming & Gillespie LLP, our lawyers are equipped to handle legal cases from start to finish, even if it means taking the case to court. We will not transfer your legal case to another unfamiliar law firm, and we have the financial resources and the staff to ensure that your legal case is in good hands throughout the litigation process.
- Reputation & Credentials
It is important to hire a lawyer with a solid reputation, not only with former clients, but also with those in the insurance industry, other lawyers, and judges.
In order to get an idea of a lawyer’s reputation it is recommended that you ask for referrals from past clients. By speaking with former clients, you will learn more about the lawyer and his/her reputation in the community.
When researching a prospective lawyer, it is also important to learn about the lawyer’s experience, awards, certifications, results, and other credentials.
The lawyers at Cuming & Gillespie LLP have been recognized by their peers and have won various awards, including Global Law Experts – Personal Injury Plaintiff Law Firm of the Year in Canada, Top Choice Award – Top Injury Law Firm in Calgary, CorporateINTL Global Award Winner – Personal Injury Plaintiff Law Firm of the Year in Canada, and they are listed as a leading firm and leading lawyers in Lexpert, amongst other awards and recognitions.
- Communication
Personal injury and medical malpractice cases take time to be resolved. You will likely be working with your personal injury lawyer and their team for a number of years. Therefore, it is important that you find a lawyer that you are comfortable with and one that listens to your concerns, communicates clearly, and treats you with respect.
At Cuming & Gillespie LLP, you will meet with your personal injury lawyer, who is primarily responsible for handling your case, in person. You will also have the opportunity to work with other experienced lawyers at Cuming & Gillespie LLP, as our firm takes a collaborative team approach to each case. It is our belief that multiple sets of eyes are better than one and our experienced lawyers work together to provide you with the best possible representation throughout your case. Our entire legal team will take the time to walk you through the litigation process and will communicate with you throughout your recovery.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER
When you are ready to meet with a personal injury lawyer, be prepared with questions to help you make the right decision.
Here is a list of some of the questions you should ask during your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer:
- Does your firm specialize in personal injury and/or medical malpractice claims only?
- How long have you been practicing in this area of the law?
- What honors, awards and certifications have you received?
- Do you have extensive personal injury trial experience?
- Will you be my lawyer throughout the litigation process?
- Have you had experience taking cases similar to mine to trial and have they been successful?
- Are there any weaknesses with my claim?
Choosing a personal injury lawyer to represent you or a loved one in your time of need is not a decision to be taken lightly. As a firm of lawyers who specializes in personal injury law and medical malpractice, the experienced lawyers at Cuming & Gillespie LLP have a strong reputation in the community and in the legal profession. Our lawyers also have a proven track record of successfully handling serious personal injury and medical malpractice claims.
At Cuming & Gillespie LLP we strive to provide our clients with excellent legal services and offer a free consultation. We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding hiring a lawyer for your personal injury or medical malpractice case. Please contact our office at 403-571-0555 or online.