How to Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer
Dealing with a personal injury claim can be stressful, time consuming and confusing. It is therefore really important to find a personal injury lawyer to assist you with the process that you not only trust but can also easily talk to.
When picking your lawyer you should look for someone who is approachable. Lawyers can be known to be quite unapproachable at times however, we assure you we aren’t all like that! You definitely want someone helping you with your case that you feel like you can be completely open and honest with as this is a very important factor in the lawyer-client relationship. If you do not have open communication with your lawyer due to you feeling like they are a bit unapproachable, this can then have a negative flow-on effect on the advice you receive from them. First impressions are usually accurate when it comes to picking a lawyer. If in your first meeting you do not walk out of it feeling like it was a success and you trust that person to help you with your case, then they are likely not the right lawyer for you.
Not only do you want them to be approachable but you also want a lawyer who will talk to you and explain things to you in everyday language. There is nothing worse than a lawyer using complicated legal jargon which clients do not understand! So, when picking a lawyer we recommend you make sure you take note of how they explain things to you. Do they take the time to advise you in a way that a person without a law degree understands? If not, then they are not the right lawyer for you.
You also want to find a lawyer who is available to actually talk to you and not just email. It is very important to be able to sit across the table from your lawyer and talk about your case or be able to pick up the phone and discuss with them any questions or issues you may have that could very well be causing you stress and worry. Having that personal face to face relationship with your lawyer is vital for you to build trust and confidence in their ability to assist you with your case. If your lawyer is not within close proximity to your home, then you should look for someone who is willing to jump on a zoom conference video call instead so that you still get that face to face connection. It is a “red flag” if your lawyer wont take your calls or see you in person and just wants to only communicate via email.
It is also important to find a lawyer who will tell you straight and not “beat around the bush.” There will be some decisions you will need to make throughout your claim that will likely have a big bearing on your future, so you need a lawyer who is going to advise you with complete frankness so that you understand all the potential outcomes. If your lawyer doesn’t do this then you can be left feeling confused and making decisions without understanding all the facts.
You should also look for a personal injury lawyer who actually specialises in personal injury law. Personal injury law is very complicated and specific and has completely different laws to other areas such as criminal law and family law. Therefore, we would recommend you pick a lawyer who specialises in personal injury law and doesn’t just do a “bit of everything.” This will ensure you have a lawyer who has a complete knowledge of the type of claim you need them to assist you with.
To help you start to get an understanding of what is involved in NSW workers compensation claims, here is the link to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority’s website (SIRA) who regulates these claims:
Workers compensation claims – SIRA (nsw.gov.au)
If you are looking for a personal injury lawyer who has all of the above qualities, give us a call at Bourke Legal. We can help deal with your claim so that you can focus on your road to recovery. You can find our experienced personal injury lawyers in Ballina & Kingscliff by clicking on the below link: