Selecting an Orlando personal injury lawyer can be a scary task for those that have never worked with a lawyer before.  However, even though this firm advertises and tries to use those advertisements to inform the general public, I stand by what I have said many times.  Never choose your attorney based solely upon an advertisement.  That is not to say you should not listen to an advertisement and investigate if they are a good attorney to use, but it should not be the only reason you call an attorney.

Your first and best way to select an attorney is to ask someone you know if they have ever used an attorney that they liked, and what is that person’s name and number.  Even better, if you know an attorney that cannot help you because they do not practice in the area you need, ask that attorney for a referral.  If your contacts are not attorneys themselves, or have not used an attorney, they may know someone that has.  In that case you should speak with that person that used the attorney personally to find out their experience.

Once you have found an attorney that comes recommended by someone you trust then you can do some basic research about them and their firm on the internet.  If you find that information is consistent with what you need, then it is time to set up an appointment with the attorney to see if they can help you.  Most personal injury lawyers in Orlando will not charge you a fee to meet with you if you have a case they can work on a contingency (that means they get a percentage of whatever you recover at the end of the case).  You should know that attorneys that bill by the hour will almost always charge you a fee to meet with you and that is because they do not work on contingency.

When you set up your appointment you should ask some questions.  First, inquire whether you will be meeting with the attorney personally or with someone on their staff.  It is perfectly fine to meet with their staff first in order to allow the meeting to be setup more quickly, but you should be able to also meet with an attorney soon and have any and all of your questions answered.  Second, find out what you should bring.  If you can, take photographs of the scene, injuries, and/or the car(s) involved (if an automobile crash) and give them to your attorney.  Also, any police report, incident report or other paperwork will be very useful to your attorney.  If you have seen a doctor, a card or bill with that doctor’s name and address is also important.

Once you are at your meeting, remember that what you tell your lawyer or his staff is privileged and so you should be completely honest.  Do not hold any information back.  Failing to tell your lawyer about prior injuries or accidents can severely affect how well the lawyer will be able to help you.  Additionally, if you think the accident may have been partially your fault, now is the time to tell the lawyer and ask.  The lawyer and his staff should take the time to find out not only about the accident you are seeing him for, but also any and all prior accidents you have had, your medical condition before the accident, and your medical condition after the accident.  He should also inquire about whether you have lost income as a result of the accident, and if so, where you have been working and how long, and how much you were making.  Finally the lawyer should ask about who is treating you for the injuries you sustained in this accident, and if you do not have a doctor, he can very likely help you find a doctor that can help you get better.

Many times people are very concerned about their cars and how they are going to get fixed, but that is usually not a big problem.  Insurance companies use some of the same tools you find on the internet to value your car, and you can search sites like, www.kellybluebook.com to find out if they are giving you a fair offer.  If you need the lawyer to help you with your property damage claim as well then you should be sure to tell him.

In summary, remember that you should always ask people you know and trust who they have used when selecting a personal injury lawyer.  Once you have done that you should learn what you can off the internet about that lawyer, and once you have decided who you want to use, be completely open and honest with that lawyer.

– Mark Cornelius, Esq., is an experienced personal injury attorney and shareholder with Bogin, Munns, & Munns, P.A., a full service law firm with offices in Orlando, Clermont, Kissimmee, Deltona, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Melbourne, Gainesville, and Leesburg, Florida.  Mr. Cornelius works out of the Orlando office of the firm and welcomes questions and comments regarding the above and can be reached at mark@boginmunns.com

NO LEGAL ADVICE: This blog entry is not intended as legal advice nor should you consider it as such. It is intended only as general information.  You should not act upon this information without retaining professional legal counsel. Please keep in mind that merely subscribing to or reading this blog or otherwise contacting Bogin Munns & Munns, P.A. in the manner that you have will not establish an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Bogin Munns & Munns, P.A. cannot represent you until the firm knows there would not be a conflict of interest, and the firm determines that it is otherwise able to accept the engagement. The engagement would also be confirmed by a written agreement.