What Makes a Good SF Personal Injury Lawyer

OK, so you’ve got a viable lawsuit: a person or company was at fault that has led to medical, personal, and financial distress.  How do you select a lawyer who will get you a good settlement for your claims?  There are a number of personal injury lawyers in the San Francisco area, so what makes one better than the other.  The two main factors are experience and cost.  Sometimes there be a conflict between the two.

For example, a personal injury attorney who has gotten huge settlements in the past is in a bargaining position to ask for a higher monthly rate.  However, this does not mean that the San Francisco lawyer has explicit experience with your type of personal injury lawsuit.  There is a large difference between workman’s comp law, auto accident law, libel law, and so on.  You want to find a personal injury lawyer who has specific experience with your type of claim, while also not charging high hourly fees, which can drain the amount you’ll eventually get from the settlement.

A lawyer will also be able to be paid on a “contingency basis” – meaning that the lawyer will be paid based on if there is an eventual cash settlement.  A lawyer will only enter into this arrangement if he or she is confident that a settlement can be made.  You should feel confident in this arrangement, as it is in the lawyer’s best interest to get the largest settlement possible from a contingency arrangement.

Otherwise, you should ask a lawyer for references and examples of past personal injury law cases.  There’s also the more subjective assessment: are you comfortable with this person?  Do you trust her?  This is just as important as experience, as you will be working with the attorney during a potentially difficult time.  You want to be “on the same side” and have ample confidence in the attorney’s abilities.  In your initial meeting with a personal injury attorney, you should be assessing both the attorney’s knowledge or personal injury law, as well as your general comfort level.