How to Find a Lawyer
Selecting an attorney can seem like a daunting task if you don’t know what to consider and where to look. If you are injured, whether at work, in a car accident, or due to someone else’s fault, it is important that you find a lawyer and law firm that understands the challenges of your injury and has knowledge of all the options available to help you get the benefits you deserve.
The best place to start is by asking your friends and family for a referral to a trusted attorney. Friends and family can provide you with information about the attorney, the law firm as a whole and what to expect throughout the process.
If your friends and family have never worked with an attorney then you will need to do a general search for law firms in your area that concentrate in Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability or Personal Injury (Accident) Law. Websites such as New York State Bar Association, New York State Workers’ Compensation Board, and Injured Workers’ Bar Association can all be helpful in finding attorneys in your community.
Television commercials, billboards and other advertising are another way to find attorneys in your area. Beware of television commercials and other advertising that brag about large monetary awards which can be misleading. There are many factors that determine the settlement awarded to a client such as, injury, lost time from work, degree of disability and even where the claimant lived. Personal injury settlements and jury verdicts in the New York City area, for example, are generally worth multiples more in terms of monetary value than similar cases here in Rochester.
Once you have narrowed your search down to a law firm and/or attorney you would like to contact, it is recommended that you spend time on their website gathering as much information you can about the attorney, the firm and the type of law they practice. Is the firm located in the community where you live? How experienced is the firm and the attorney you are interested in hiring? Does the attorney have a full-time assistant or is the assistant shared with other attorneys? The answers to these questions and more can have a direct impact on the service they can provide to you as a client.
Another resource you can use to learn about your individual attorney is Avvo. This website shares general information about the attorney and their practice areas as well as, many client reviews and professional ratings which can help you make your decision.
Segar & Sciortino has served Western New York for 25 years in the areas of Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability and Personal Injury(Accident) Law. Call us today at (585) 475-1100 or fill out our form for a free consultation. Local experience you can trust to get the benefits you deserve.