How to Select a Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Ask for a referral., Use lawyers.com., Check other legal websites., Use a search engine., Contact your county’s local bar association., Contact your state bar association., Look up your potential options on the state bar association website., Take a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ask for a referral.
If you already have a lawyer helping you with a different type of case, be sure to ask for a referral.
If a family member or friend has recently pursued a medical malpractice case, find out if he or she was happy with the lawyer.
If so, this may be a good place to start., There are many websites that can help you find a lawyer.
Martindale Hubbell, a company that has provided reputable attorney ratings for decades, runs lawyers.com.
On this website, you can both search for attorneys and check their ratings.
Here's how it works:
First, go to the main page of lawyers.com.
Type in the term “medical malpractice” just to the right of the arrow in the top search box.
Next, type in your city and state in the box beneath the top one.
If you live in a small town and don't receive many listings, enter the largest city near you, followed by your state’s name.
You should now find one or more law firms listed.
It’s a good idea to favor those firms or listings with both a positive “Client Review Rating” and a “Peer Review Rating.” However, either one alone will still prove useful.
Ratings range from 1-5, with a “5” being the most sought after or “almost perfect” score.
They rate either an individual lawyer or law firm.
Ratings focus on knowledge, experience, judgment and other key professional traits.
Client ratings measure the satisfaction of people the lawyer has represented.
Peer review ratings tell you whether the lawyer is respected by other lawyers.
Both are helpful.
Next, click on the “view phone number” icon if the number is not already displayed.
Write the the number down on a piece of paper, next to each law firm’s name you want to call. , If you did not get enough options by searching lawyers.com, you may also want to visit findlaw.com and nolo.com.
These sites also include lawyer directories and a lot of information about the law.Neither of these can offer you the attorney ratings provided by lawyers.com.
They can usually provide you with names of medical malpractice lawyers who practice near you.
Try to choose an attorney whose office is close to your home.
You may need to visit it often during several stages of your case. , If you live outside the USA or Canada, none of the websites above will contain the information you need.
So, you'll need to locate some attorneys using an ordinary search engine.
You can start out this process by typing in the name of your city and country.
Then add a plus (+) sign and the term “medical malpractice attorney” in quotation marks.
Spend sometime looking at individual attorneys' websites to find one qualified to represent you. , If you'd rather use the phone than search online, you can call your county's bar association.
They will often be able to refer you to lawyers who handle malpractice suits.You should be able to find the number for your local bar association online or in the phone book.
In your city, you may instead need to ask to speak to the local free lawyer referral service., You may need to do this if you are unable to reach your local county bar association.
Call them up and tell them what type of case you need help with.
They should be able to put you in touch with your local county bar association.
They may also be able to provide you with a list of attorneys who practice in the medical malpractice field., The bar also regulates attorneys' behavior.
Once you've created a list of possible lawyers, you should visit the state bar website.
Look up any attorneys you are considering.
You should look to see if any of them have ever been formally reprimanded by the bar.Also check to see if any of them have ever had their licenses temporarily suspended for any reason.
If you find indications of past troubles, it may be wise to choose another lawyer., You should be able to figure how many people work at the legal firm and whether the firm focuses on medical malpractice. -
Step 2: Use lawyers.com.
-
Step 3: Check other legal websites.
-
Step 4: Use a search engine.
-
Step 5: Contact your county’s local bar association.
-
Step 6: Contact your state bar association.
-
Step 7: Look up your potential options on the state bar association website.
-
Step 8: Take a look at the attorney’s website.
Detailed Guide
If you already have a lawyer helping you with a different type of case, be sure to ask for a referral.
If a family member or friend has recently pursued a medical malpractice case, find out if he or she was happy with the lawyer.
If so, this may be a good place to start., There are many websites that can help you find a lawyer.
Martindale Hubbell, a company that has provided reputable attorney ratings for decades, runs lawyers.com.
On this website, you can both search for attorneys and check their ratings.
Here's how it works:
First, go to the main page of lawyers.com.
Type in the term “medical malpractice” just to the right of the arrow in the top search box.
Next, type in your city and state in the box beneath the top one.
If you live in a small town and don't receive many listings, enter the largest city near you, followed by your state’s name.
You should now find one or more law firms listed.
It’s a good idea to favor those firms or listings with both a positive “Client Review Rating” and a “Peer Review Rating.” However, either one alone will still prove useful.
Ratings range from 1-5, with a “5” being the most sought after or “almost perfect” score.
They rate either an individual lawyer or law firm.
Ratings focus on knowledge, experience, judgment and other key professional traits.
Client ratings measure the satisfaction of people the lawyer has represented.
Peer review ratings tell you whether the lawyer is respected by other lawyers.
Both are helpful.
Next, click on the “view phone number” icon if the number is not already displayed.
Write the the number down on a piece of paper, next to each law firm’s name you want to call. , If you did not get enough options by searching lawyers.com, you may also want to visit findlaw.com and nolo.com.
These sites also include lawyer directories and a lot of information about the law.Neither of these can offer you the attorney ratings provided by lawyers.com.
They can usually provide you with names of medical malpractice lawyers who practice near you.
Try to choose an attorney whose office is close to your home.
You may need to visit it often during several stages of your case. , If you live outside the USA or Canada, none of the websites above will contain the information you need.
So, you'll need to locate some attorneys using an ordinary search engine.
You can start out this process by typing in the name of your city and country.
Then add a plus (+) sign and the term “medical malpractice attorney” in quotation marks.
Spend sometime looking at individual attorneys' websites to find one qualified to represent you. , If you'd rather use the phone than search online, you can call your county's bar association.
They will often be able to refer you to lawyers who handle malpractice suits.You should be able to find the number for your local bar association online or in the phone book.
In your city, you may instead need to ask to speak to the local free lawyer referral service., You may need to do this if you are unable to reach your local county bar association.
Call them up and tell them what type of case you need help with.
They should be able to put you in touch with your local county bar association.
They may also be able to provide you with a list of attorneys who practice in the medical malpractice field., The bar also regulates attorneys' behavior.
Once you've created a list of possible lawyers, you should visit the state bar website.
Look up any attorneys you are considering.
You should look to see if any of them have ever been formally reprimanded by the bar.Also check to see if any of them have ever had their licenses temporarily suspended for any reason.
If you find indications of past troubles, it may be wise to choose another lawyer., You should be able to figure how many people work at the legal firm and whether the firm focuses on medical malpractice.
About the Author
Lauren Murphy
Enthusiastic about teaching pet care techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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