Finding the right lawyer to handle any legal matter is a difficult task. You need to be able to trust in their knowledge, expertise, and capability to manage your legal needs. When searching for the best medical malpractice lawyers, things can get even more complicated.
Due to the highly technical and scientific nature of a medical malpractice case, as well as the potentially high amount of damages on the line, not every attorney is up to the challenge. Medical malpractice is a broad area of legal practice, so you want to find someone who knows what they’re doing.
If you want to find the best medical malpractice lawyer for your case, you need to do a bit of footwork first.
Finding a Lawyer
For anyone who doesn’t commonly seek legal representation, tracking down and hiring a good lawyer might seem like an alien process. In truth, finding an attorney is like hiring any other professional. You will likely want to spend more time vetting a lawyer than you might do to hire a gardener, but you can apply the same basic principles when searching for one.
Reach Out to Your Network
When searching for any kind of service, it never hurts to start with the people you trust. Put some feelers out to your personal network, and see if anyone you know can recommend any malpractice attorneys. You might not know anyone who has needed one themselves, but you never know who friends or family might be able to refer you to.
Best of all, without a financial stake in the case themselves they’ll be able to give you their honest and unvarnished opinion.
Get In Touch With the Bar Association in Your State
Your state’s bar association helps regulate the legal profession, ensuring that the rule of law is maintained for the public interest and that lawyers are held to the highest standard. If you’re trying to find the best medical malpractice lawyers, the bar association is a good place to start.
Many bar associations have databases available to the public to help them find legal help, helping to point you towards a potential lawyer. They also can tell you if any of the prospective lawyers you’re considering have been subject to any disciplinary measures. Most legal professionals stay strictly within the rules, but you should be aware of any history if it’s there.
Ask Your Insurance Provider
If you have health insurance, it’s not a bad idea to reach out to your provider and see if they have any insight into medical malpractice lawyers in your area. They may have some leads based on the experience of other customers, as well as some further tips on what to look for in an attorney. Because their work interfaces with the medical system so much, you might be surprised to learn what they already know.
Do Some Research Online
Finally, turn your attention to the expansive knowledge available online! There’s a plethora of knowledge available from other people just like you that can help you make an informed choice on your legal representation. Online reviews can give you an impression of what working with a prospective lawyer might be like, letting you feel out the dynamic before actually committing.
What to Ask
Now that you have a few potential lawyers in mind, it’s time to get in touch. Before you meet with them, talk on the phone, or even email them, you’ll want to have a plan. If you want to get the most out of the interaction, you’ll want to come in armed with as much information as you can put together.
How Much Do They Focus on Malpractice?
Knowledge and experience are important qualities to look for in a lawyer. But just because someone has twenty years of experience practicing law, that doesn’t mean they would be the best choice for you. Any lawyer or legal firm will have a wide variety of legal areas they specialize in.
Since medical malpractice is an expansive type of law, make sure to ask any attorneys you talk to how much of their work is devoted to it. The best medical malpractice lawyers should have plenty of practice in the area.
What Kind of Malpractice Cases Have They Tried Before?
Drilling down even deeper, see what kind of experience in medical malpractice your prospective lawyer has. A misdiagnosis case will need to be handled differently than a surgical error case, so be ready to spell out the specifics of yours. If they’ve handled cases similar to yours in the past and come out with a favorable ruling for their client, that’s a good sign.
What Should You Expect from the Relationship?
Each legal practice operates differently. Depending on the size and scale, you may have a very different experience with one firm versus another. It’s wise to get an idea of what to expect from your lawyer in the initial consultation. Ask how often you can expect to be updated on the case, how much of the practice’s resources will be dedicated to it, and if you’ll communicate primarily with your attorney, a paralegal, or other support staff.
By setting expectations before you hire anyone, you can make sure their work style sits well with you.
How Will They Be Compensated?
No one likes to talk about money, but you need to make sure that you and your prospective lawyer are both clear about how any compensation will be handled. Some attorneys work on an hourly or fixed fee, but since medical malpractice cases can take months or even years to resolve they can quickly get expensive.
Thankfully most medical malpractice lawyers will work on a contingency basis, meaning they get paid a percentage out of any settlements that may come from a favorable judgment. Any legal fees, expert witnesses, court filings, or other prep work will be paid for by the attorney or law firm until judgment is rendered and they can be reimbursed through the settlement. If they seem like a good fit otherwise and the payment makes sense, they may just be the right representation for you.
