How to Choose a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Lawyers / Catastrophic Injury Lawyer / How to Choose a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

When your life is turned upside down by a catastrophic injury in an accident that was not your fault, you may deserve compensation to help cover medical bills and other losses. Severe injuries can be expensive. Don’t jeopardize your case by representing yourself. Hire a catastrophic injury lawyer to support you through the process and fight for the maximum amount of compensation you need to cover your financial expenses.

When you are looking into how to choose a catastrophic injury lawyer, you need to prioritize legal firms with experience in recovering settlements for others with these types of injuries. At Munley Law, we’ve recovered billions of dollars in settlements and verdict awards for our clients over the past 65 years. Don’t settle for less than what you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation.

Why Choose a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer With Years of Experience?

Catastrophic injury claims and cases often involve more legal complications than a standard personal injury accident. These injuries can lead to high medical bills, which can prompt insurance companies to push back or devalue the claim. Sometimes, you may even end up with costs higher than the insurance policy limits. When this happens, you can either settle for less than what you deserve or choose to file a personal injury lawsuit and take your case to court.

When you choose a catastrophic injury attorney who has experience with cases like yours, you can be reassured that they will understand the importance of maximizing your compensation. A lawyer experienced in catastrophic injuries should be knowledgeable about the local laws and relevant cases that might impact your situation. They should be experienced in settling insurance claims and prepared to take your case to court.

When you look to choose a catastrophic injury lawyer, be sure to dig into the experience and testimony of other clients as well. At Munley Law, our attorneys have represented injury victims nationwide over the past 65 years. When you arrange a free case consultation with our group, be sure to ask about specific experience and knowledge about catastrophic injuries, such as your own.

Why Is Client Success Rate Important?

A firm’s client success rate shows the percentage of cases won or claims settled compared to the number of cases the lawyer has worked on unsuccessfully. When you choose a catastrophic injury lawyer with a high client success rate, you will likely have a higher chance of a favorable outcome. Look on their website for information about the firm or client reviews and testimonials that show real clients’ satisfaction with their experience working with those lawyers.

Law firms often post about their top settlements and verdicts so that you can read through their case experience. Some may even have a more in-depth page digging into individual case studies, which show the testimonials of other clients, reveal some of the process, and show the results of the claim or trial.

At Munley Law, we pride ourselves on having represented thousands of clients in personal injury cases with groundbreaking settlements and verdicts. You can read about each of our attorneys, their awards and recognition, notable settlements and verdicts, educational background, bar admissions, professional organizations, and more. We want our clients making an informed decision when choosing a catastrophic injury lawyer to work with.

Judging Communication Styles and Availability

When you work with a catastrophic injury lawyer, you should be able to trust them, and rely on their ability to communicate and act promptly when necessary. An attorney should speak at the level of your legal knowledge, break down complicated legal phrasing, and make sure that their clients understand what is happening at every point in their case.

Large firms often get a bad rap for being difficult to communicate with because their lawyers are unavailable. This leaves clients to wonder if their lawyer ever got the message. Small firms can struggle with this just as much, often taking on too many cases to give personalized attention to each client. Make sure to choose a catastrophic injury lawyer who values their clients’ best interests and promises to keep clients informed.

What Steps Should You Take To Choose a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer?

While word of mouth is often a great way to learn about lawyers, it’s unlikely you will know anyone who has gone through a similar catastrophic injury and has an attorney to suggest. No matter how much your relative likes their real estate or tax lawyer, you need someone with experience specific to your case to represent you best. You can search online with a search engine or online directory, and make sure to use credible websites.

While looking at specific law firms’ websites, check for experience directly related to catastrophic injuries. Read client testimonials and verify any credentials the lawyer might have. Take notes on the law firms that stand out to you as a good fit. Remember, you can interview multiple law firms to determine the catastrophic injury attorney that is the best fit prior to signing on with anyone as a client.

What Questions Should You Ask When You Choose a Catastrophic Injury Attorney?

While you review your research on potential law firms to work with, be sure to take note of specific questions and criteria you are looking for. You can take this list to your first meeting to make sure that you spend the time focused on what you want to know. Here are some questions to get you started:

• How many years of experience do you have working with catastrophic injury claims?

• Have you represented cases like mine in court?

• Do you have some references or client testimony that I could peruse?

• How do you plan to communicate with me as your client? How long does a client typically have to wait to hear back from you?

• How do your legal fees work? What should I expect to pay over the course of my case?

Questions like these can help you gain a better understanding of the lawyer and firm you are working with. There is no right or wrong answer to most of these questions, but it can give you a better idea of how they handle business and the way they treat clients. Be sure not to just look for a good lawyer on paper, but prioritize making a personal connection that can help communication throughout your legal process.

Schedule Free Case Consultations When You Choose a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Often, personal injury lawyers offer free introductory meetings or case consultations where you can meet to get answers to questions about your specific situation, and evaluate the law firm to find the best fit for you. Be sure to go through your notes and questions that you want to learn from each. These meetings are a great time to evaluate communication style and determine if the firm will be a good match.

Discuss Legal Fees With Each Law Firm

During your introductory call, you should ask about legal fee structure and what out-of-pocket expenses you may run into throughout the legal process. Many personal injury firms work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they do not charge anything unless they settle your claim or win your case. Then, this fee will be a percentage of the settlement or verdict payout, so no money has to come from you up front.

This type of legal fee structure is ideal for those already swamped with medical expenses. When you choose catastrophic injury lawyers to work with, they should prioritize making sure you understand legal fees. Be sure to discuss any potential court filing fees and other expenses that may be associated with your case so you are aware of the full cost of pursuing compensation.

What Warning Signs Should You Watch For?

Sometimes language a lawyer uses can be a big red flag. This includes when lawyers set up unrealistic expectations, give guarantees, or assure you that you will win your case no matter what. A good lawyer should reassure you that they will do everything they can to maximize your claim and win your case. Still, absolute guarantees of a win are a sign of an unprofessional and unreliable attorney.

What Type of Experience Should a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Have?

When you are evaluating how to choose a catastrophic injury lawyer, it may help to look for one who is familiar with your specific type of catastrophic injury. With past case experience, they may have further insights into how your case may go and the best way to strategically approach collecting evidence, building a case of liability, and pursuing the maximum compensation possible for you. Common cases our catastrophic injury lawyers see at Munley Law include:

• Spinal Cord Injuries: Common in a variety of catastrophic accidents, spinal cord injuries result from car accidents, truck accidents, falls from heights, and other personal injury incidents. These injuries can lead to loss of function, including a range of impairments and permanent disabilities, including complete paralysis.

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): From concussions to shattered skulls and brain damage, TBIs can host a wide range of physical and mental symptoms, lasting from days to lifelong.

• Amputation Cases and Loss of Limb: Loss of limb can be instant in an accident, or injury victims may have to undergo an amputation at a later time due to a severe injury. Some assistive devices can help those who have lost limbs adjust back to a somewhat normal everyday life,  along with vocational rehabilitation specialists, but many who have undergone this traumatic injury live with lifelong chronic pain, phantom feelings, and psychological trauma.

• Burn Injuries: Often causing severe pain and loss of mobility, burn injuries can require skin grafts and extensive surgeries. Burn injury specialists may be brought in to advise on the chronic pain and losses you have experienced with this type of injury.

Choose a catastrophic injury lawyer who understands cases like yours and is prepared to help you calculate the full value of your case. Do not settle for less than what you deserve.

How Does a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Help Maximize Your Settlement?

An experienced catastrophic injury lawyer can help maximize your settlement by calculating the true value of your claim. This will often account for expected medical costs for ongoing care or complications. If you are still recovering or have sustained a lifelong injury, this can be a large expense, even after the case settles.

They will calculate economic losses associated with specific dollar amounts, like medical bills and devices, lost time from work, and other similar losses. They will also likely account for non-economic losses, which are damages not directly tied to a specific dollar amount, such as pain and suffering. Experts in other industries can often provide detailed insight and evidence to back up your claimed losses. For example, a facial reconstruction surgeon may be brought in to provide expert knowledge regarding the recovery, costs, and losses associated with facial disfigurement.

Your experienced injury lawyer may also work with helpful resources like those of life care planning experts. When traumatic injuries result in permanent disabilities, life care planners assist with assessing future medical costs and needs, as well as coordinating these services when the injury victim requires them. Experts like these may also be able to help families with disability benefits coordination.

Why Choose Catastrophic Injury Attorneys at Munley Law

Munley Law’s nationwide personal injury lawyers are ready to help you recover compensation for your catastrophic injury. We advocate for your best interests and will work to maximize your claim so that you have the best financial support while you go through recovery. Contact us today for a free case consultation and learn why you should choose a catastrophic injury lawyer from the Munley Law team.