You or a loved one getting injured by a trusted doctor, surgeon, hospital, or other healthcare provider is traumatic enough. At this stressful time of your life, the last thing you probably want to do is to search and begin working with a medical malpractice lawyer to try to win financial compensation. But, as we at Latona Law know all too well, the carelessness and negligence of medical providers often have costs both emotional and monetary. The truth is that you deserve restitution for all you have suffered, which can range from bodily and mental anguish to substantial medical bills.
In all respects, then, it behooves you to find a skilled and experienced medical malpractice attorney to stand behind you and help you navigate the frequently complex world of malpractice law.
But how is this done? How can you find a reliable lawyer who truly has the knowledge and know-how that he or she claims? Here are some pointers on how to go about selecting a trustworthy medical malpractice lawyer.
1. Ask for Recommendations
In the service industry, word of mouth is everything, and this is how many lawyers get clients. If you are looking for a quality malpractice attorney, simply ask anyone you know for recommendations. You never know who has had to work with a lawyer before, and some well-meaning family members and friends might be able to offer some insider perspective on what their experiences were like. They can reveal who they worked with, what he or she was like throughout the case, what the lawyer charged, and so on. Personal recommendations can be invaluable in a time like this, when you need to hire someone in a field with which you are not particularly familiar. So, do not be shy. Ask around!
2. Check the Lawyer’s Experience
Once you have some lawyers’ names in hand from family, friends, and your own research, you will have to start vetting them. It will be difficult to say exactly how that lawyer would be working on your case, but experience can tell a lot. Ask prospective lawyers how long they have been practicing in the area of medical malpractice. Ask what percentage of their career they have devoted to this field. Perhaps a medical malpractice attorney you are considering also works in bankruptcy. That is perfectly fine, but just be sure that a significant enough portion of the lawyer’s time is spent in medical malpractice. A law firm that claims to spend only 15 percent of its time on medical malpractice may not be the one for you.
Also, do not forget to check online reviews, where former clients are likely to have reviewed their time with the lawyer through personal testimonials.
3. Ensure the Lawyer Has Medical Experts
Winning a medical malpractice case requires a medical expert to testify on your behalf. This expert will look at the medical records and other evidence and assert that your doctor or other medical provider did, indeed, act negligently when he or she injured you. You can usually tell something about malpractice lawyers based on how readily they can get good medical experts to work with them. Maybe a lawyer hires expert witnesses from an independent firm. In other cases, the lawyer may be in the business long enough to have assembled an impressive portfolio of names who can help out in your case. See what an attorney says about this part of the process to see whether it is a good idea to proceed.
4. See if You Get Along Well
You might think of this as a frivolous point, but it is vital that you and your lawyer get along on a personal level. After all, your case could go on for several months, and your lawyer is there to help you. The last thing you need is to add to your stress by working with an attorney whose personality you simply cannot stand and whom you dread calling on a possibly daily basis. If, during your initial consultation, you discover you do not mix well with the lawyer’s personal style, it might be time to find someone else. Maybe this attorney does not feel the need to update you frequently, and you require information several times a week. You can see how, in the end, being at loggerheads with your own malpractice lawyer could hurt you. This is why it is so important to get along with your attorney personally.
5. Check the Cost Structure
In just about every legal situation, which malpractice attorney you go with will also come down to money. Who is going to pay which fees, and when, and at what rate? Many medical malpractice lawyers work with clients on a contingency fee basis. This means the lawyer would be paid a percentage of the eventual court settlement or other award, if there is one. Also involved in a malpractice case will be litigation costs, which include expert witness costs, filing fees, and medical records fees. Sometimes, the attorney will pay these fees at first and then be reimbursed from a client’s settlement. If the client wins nothing, however, the lawyer could be left with no fees paid. Be sure you are clear on your lawyer’s pay structure before signing any papers.
Experienced Medical Malpractice Law Firm
Now that you know how to select a good medical malpractice lawyer, it should be plain to see how Latona Law is the clear choice if you have been injured by a medical provider in eastern Pennsylvania. Medical malpractice is the only area we practice. Whether it is a birth injury, heart attack, stroke, or wrongful amputation, you do not deserve to sit idly by while a negligent doctor gets away with harming you and your family.
This is why we are here, to defend people just like you from the dangers of preventable medical negligence. If you have been hurt by your doctor and need a dependable medical malpractice lawyer in your area, call Latona Law today. We offer free consultations, and you pay no costs or fees until we win. you deserve.