Nobody plans on getting hurt in an accident. But, if you’ve been hurt and you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer to help you, we have some tips.

Of course, if you’re looking for a car accident lawyer in California, we hope you’ll let us help. But when our friends in other states get hurt, here’s the advice we give them:

Search online for a local personal injury lawyer. Check their reviews on reputable third-party sites. Schedule a free consultation with the ones you like. Trust your gut instinct, and don’t sign or agree to anything until you’re 100% comfortable.

And, maybe most importantly, don’t talk to the insurance company before speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney that you trust.

Use google to find a personal injury lawyer.

Chances are, you’ve already tried this step. Everyone turns to google after an accident. You’re going to want to scroll beyond the paid advertising and look for the personal injury lawyers that are near the top of the non-paid search results.

Typing “personal injury lawyer near me” is a great first step. Google wants to give you the best information possible. Generally speaking, the personal injury law firm websites that show-up near the top of your search results are from law firms that have been referenced in leading publications around the web.

Finding an experienced accident lawyer online requires a little bit of research. Googling is just the first step.

Look for trusted online reviews from past personal injury clients.

Many search results will include information about the reviews that have been submitted to google about the law firm. In the screenshot below, you’ll see we have 62 clients from our Long Beach personal injury law office that left us reviews on google, and we’ve earned a near perfect score.

Some other personal injury attorney review sites include:

Take advantage of a free personal injury consultation, or two.

A reputable accident attorney will offer to meet with you for free, in-person to discuss the specifics of your accident. The May Firm will even travel to meet with you if travel is difficult. Experienced, local personal injury attorneys want to ensure you have the information you need to make an informed decision.

This is a difficult time and you are probably being pressured by the insurance company to accept a fast settlement of your claim. You might be alright if you accept their offer, but you need to know for sure before you sign the waiver of your rights and cash the check.

Don’t be afraid to meet with a few different lawyers on your short-list. You are trusting your chosen attorney to guide you through a difficult process. They need to be experienced and know how to handle your personal injury claim as efficiently as possible.

Contingency Fees

If a personal injury attorney believes that you have a strong case, they may be willing to accept the case on contingency. This means that you will not be required to pay an upfront fee to your lawyer. They will deduct their expenses from the compensation they secure for you after your accident.

If a personal injury attorney is unwilling to accept your case on contingency, they may not feel your case is very strong.

Here at The May Firm we put our time and resources behind our agreement to accept a personal injury case in California. If we don’t think we can help you, we aren’t going to ask you to pay us.

Don’t delay talking to a personal injury lawyer about your accident.

You have a limited period of time to pursue compensation for your accident. Some accident victims make the mistake avoiding the process of filing a claim. They wrongly believe that if they don’t pursue the person(s) responsible right now, they can always come back later.

Even if you manage to file your claim within the statute of limitations, handling a personal injury claim becomes more difficult as time passes. If you wait too long to see a doctor, they won’t know for sure if your injuries were caused by the accident. Witnesses to your accident forget important details over time and can also become more difficult to track down.

The May Firm: Trusted Personal Injury Lawyers in California

If you were hurt in California, first seek medical attention and then talk to an attorney at The May Firm.

We’ll provide you with the information you need to make a smart decision that protects your family. Our local attorneys and investigators can jump into action, ensuring we establish the facts of your cases and hold the people responsible accountable.

We sincerely hope you never need a personal injury attorney, but if you do, we hope this article helps make your search easier.