Most people will tell you the best way to find a good lawyer is through a personal recommendation. But that advice applies to almost any situation. Have a leaky faucet? Call that great plumber your neighbor always talks about. Need a good mechanic? How about the one your friend Jerry swears by?
The thing about lawyer recommendations is that a lawyer good at one thing may not be the best lawyer at another.
You’ve been injured in a car accident for the first time. You are lost. You don’t know where to turn or what to do. You’re uncle Louie has been around the block with a lawyer or two. You ask him for a recommendation. Uncle Louie gives you the name of a lawyer who was so good at helping him with his divorce.
Now, that divorce lawyer may be one of the best around, but may not be skilled, or as skilled, in personal injury cases. Most lawyers tend to concentrate their practices in particular areas of the law… criminal law; real estate law; family law, etc.
If you need a personal injury lawyer to represent you in your car accident claim, you want a lawyer who handles such cases on a regular basis; a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of personal injury law and will be aggressive in getting you the best result possible. The last thing you want is a lawyer whose experience is sketchy and will be learning the ins and outs of personal injury law through your case!
Just like you would not go to a foot doctor for brain surgery, you should not go to a lawyer unskilled in personal injury law for an accident case. Just make sure when you ask around for a good lawyer, that lawyer practices the type of law particular to your need.
And if you ever need a good divorce lawyer, uncle Louie’s guy is your man!
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The Byrd says
June 24, 2015 at 6:05 pmCan uncle Louie recommend a good Italian Restaurant in the Bronx?
John M DeProspo, Personal Injury Hotline says
June 24, 2015 at 6:17 pmI don’t think so. He’s from Miami.
Virginia Davis says
July 15, 2015 at 2:34 pmThanks for the advice. I agree that it is important to find a lawyer that is skilled in the particular kind of law your case falls under. Like you said, a great divorce lawyer is probably not your best choice for a personal injury case. Would the divorce lawyer be a good place to ask for a recommendation, though?
Judy Wilson says
March 31, 2016 at 11:05 amI thought that you made a good point about making sure that the lawyer that you hire from a personal reference is experienced enough to handle your case. Many lawyers are good at a couple of areas of law, and there are others that specialize in one field. That’s why it’s so important to research the attorneys your peers and family members recommend so that you can be sure that they have the education and experience to handle your type of case. Thanks for the tips!