What to Look for If You Are Considering Retaining a Personal Injury Attorney

Interviewer: I’ve heard that there’s a lot of competition in the personal injury world. What do you see that people are being told by different lawyers and what do you think is accurate or inaccurate? What should people look for when they’re looking to hire a personal injury attorney?

Experience Counts in the Law Profession

Bill: My clients tell me they want somebody who they can trust and who know what they are doing and finally someone who really cares about them and their case.

More Than a Case Number: Attorney Levinson Sees Many New Clients Who Felt Their Case Was Not Well Regarded by a Previous Attorney

Now, occasionally, I will have clients that will transfer to me because they don’t like their lawyer. The vast majority do that because they feel the lawyer doesn’t pay any attention to them. The client feels like they’re just not important to the lawyer.

Interviewer: Why would they do that if the attorney will get compensated from the case just like the person will?

Bill: I have no idea, but I’m glad they do.

Interviewer: In terms of caseload, what’s a typical caseload? Do you limit how many people you take?

Bill: We’re very efficient, and as long as we can serve our clients, we take clients that are interested in us.

Attorney Levinson Understands the Importance of Maintaining Regular Contact with Clients While Their Cases Are Pending

Interviewer: What else would you say? You have a lot of experience, tremendous amount, actually. What else would you say makes a difference between you and other attorneys that work on these cases?

Bill: It’s very important to me to be in regular contact with my clients.   I want to know how they are doing in their treatment from beginning to end.  We will be in contact with them at least once a month. We’re on top of their case and they know it.

Interviewer: We didn’t finish the case sequence. So, someone will hire you. You’ll get statements. They’ll get treatment. Then how do you build the case towards the point where you make the demand and see if they want to settle or not, the insurance company?

Negotiating with the Insurer: Through Client and Doctor Input, the Attorney Will Create a Package That Includes a Compensation Amount Which Is Sent to the Insurance Carrier

Bill: The prime mover in the settlement of a case is the health of our clients. When their treatment is complete we prepare their demand.  It includes medical bills, medical records, wage loss verifications, police reports, photos, witness statements and whatever else I think will help the adjuster offer what we want.

The decision on what we demand is made by my client and me. My clients approve any counteroffer before I make it.

You can count on the insurance company’s response to be a low ball. We go back and forth until I make them put their top offer in writing. If they make a top offer that is unacceptable, we sue them.

It Isn’t Possible to Quote an Average Length of Time a Personal Injury Case Will Take to Settle because of the Varying Nature of Injuries

Interviewer: How long will it take to settle on average, ballpark, in a case?

Bill: If you’re injured in a collision, how long will it take you to get well? That determines everything.

Interviewer: Well, that’ll vary between right away and months but anecdotally, how long have you seen?

Bill: On average between six months and if you include trials a couple of years.