Fishkill Injury Attorney Serving Wappingers Falls, Beacon, Lagrangeville and Nearby Areas of Hudson Valley

Posted: July 17, 2019

At The Maurer Law Firm, we recognize that most people have little experience when it comes to hiring a lawyer.  It can be an intimidating and overwhelming experience.  So, how does one go about choosing a lawyer for your personal injury claim?  When it comes to selecting our friends, we tend to look for people who share our core values and interests.  Is that how you should select your lawyer?  Actually, most people go about the process the way you might shop for a piece of furniture for your home.  First, you identify what type of furniture you’re looking to purchase.  Second, you look at the furniture’s quality.  Third, you determine if the furniture will meet your needs. When looking for a lawyer, people who identify the kind of lawyer they need look for an attorney who appears to be successful and try to assess if the lawyer has the experience to get the job done.  Is that all there is?  No, that is just the starting point when you’re looking for a personal injury attorney.

With personal injury litigation, which may last several years, you need to know you will be comfortable with the attorney, trust the attorney, and feel you are in good hands. The initial contact you have with a perspective lawyer is usually by telephone.  If a lawyer is in their office but won’t get on the telphone to speak to a new client, forcing you to speak with support staff, that tells you the lawyer may not value your business enough to get on the telephone.  More importantly, every personal injury lawyer will offer a prospective client a free initial consultation. This gives you and the lawyer the opportunity to size up if they want to go forward together as partners in the personal injury claim. You can learn a lot from the initial consultation. I always tell prospective clients that they should plan on spending two to three hours with me on the first visit. This way I can get to know them, gather as much information as possible about the claim, educate them about their medical issues, evaluate and explain the legal issues related to their claim, and discuss the legal process. By the time the intial consult is over, my clients have a good sense of who I am, that I listen to what they have to say and take their needs seriously, and that I will spend as much time as is necessary to achieve the best possible result for them.

Lastly, don’t hire a lawyer who is a friend or family member of your own or someone you know.  Do your research and trust your instincts.  Hiring a lawyer after you have been seriously injured is a decision that may impact the balance of your life.