Atlanta Georgia Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Jason R. Schultz Law Firm : Wrongful Death, Malpractice, Car Accidents : Georgia

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1.   Here are some factors and good points to look for and questions to ask potential attorneys about. Not every attorney will meet all these criteria, but a significant absence of the following should be a big question mark.

• Experience – obviously the longer you have been practicing a particular area of the law the more you will know. Experience is a big factor in most cases.
• Experience actually trying cases – ask the attorney how many cases he has actually tried. Has he or she achieved any significant verdicts or settlements? Does he have a list of verdicts and settlements available that you can look at? Do not accept the “all my cases are confidential” line! The greater the number of cases actually tried and substantial verdicts and settlements achieved, the more likely the insurance companies will respect you. Past results are not a guarantee of the future but past results do demonstrate some level of experience and success.
• Respect in the legal community – does the attorney teach other lawyers in continuing legal education courses?
• Membership in Georgia Super Lawyers® - the stated objective of the Super Lawyers selection process is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource to assist attorneys and sophisticated consumers in the search for legal counsel. Georgia's top lawyers are chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics and is based on the survey of more than 23,000 attorneys across the state.
• AV® Peer Review Rating by Lexis-Nexis® Martindale-Hubbell® - an AV rating is a significant accomplishment; a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence and ethics.
• Membership in Trial Lawyer Associations. In our area, you can certainly find a lawyer who is a member of a Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). These organizations provide extensive education and networking for trial lawyers.
• Publications – has your attorney written anything that has been accepted for publication in legal journals? This is another sign of respect that the legal community has for his or her skills and experience.

2.   Beware of any attorney who contacts you in writing or contacts you by phone after you have had an accident for the sole purpose of soliciting you. Some attorneys employ “runners” to personally solicit accident victims. The “runners” literally buy accident reports, or pay a clerk at the local hospital to provide your private information. They then make a “cold” call to you in the hospital or at home where you are recuperating to encourage you to sign a contract with certain attorneys. Outrageous does not begin to describe this practice. Not only is this outrageous, it is unethical and illegal behavior. If you get contacted by one of these vultures, you should get as much information about them and have them send a contract to you for signature to find out who they work for and turn them into the State Bar of Georgia at (800) 334-6865.

3.   Get a referral from an attorney that you know. He or she will probably know someone who does specialize in your area of need.

4.   The yellow pages can actually be a good source of names. Understand three things, however. First not everyone advertises in the yellow pages. Most of our cases come from referrals from other attorneys or from satisfied clients. Second, be careful about the ads that have too many different specialties, no one can do everything well. Third, be careful about full-page ads. This advertising typically attracts a lot of frivolous cases and can overwhelm an attorney. Make sure that the attorney you hire is selective enough about the cases he/she accepts so that your important case does not become just one more “file in the pile.”

5.   Your local bar association probably has a lawyer referral service. Understand that lawyers just sign up and pay a fee to be listed in certain specialties. Their names come up on a rotating basis.

6.   Interview several attorneys. Ask each attorney who else handles these type cases in your area. If they will not give you any names, leave. Ask this question of each attorney. The names you see showing up on various lists of recommendations are probably good bets for attorneys doing these cases on a regular basis in your area. This is probably the best way to find the attorney who is right for you.

7.   Ask each attorney if they have information just like this book and our web site so that you can find out more about the qualifications, experience and method of handling a case before you walk in the door.

8.   Beware of any attorney who has a stable of doctors he wants to refer you to. You can tell who these attorneys are by their stack of doctors’ cards they keep in their office. This can actually be a huge mistake and detrimental to your claim.