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How to Choose The Right Wisconsin Injury Attorney

Randy Rozek • Mar 12, 2010

he most important decision you must make following a personal injury is choosing your lawyer.  Finding the right Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer for your case can be a daunting task and it is hard work. It should not be taken lightly, especially in Wisconsin, because the law here makes it very difficult to fire your lawyer and find a new one to take over your case.

The key to finding the right lawyer for your case is to develop an organized system to assist you and to stick to that system. The following 5 steps will help you in your decision-making process.

1.     Determine the Type of Case You Have

In order to know what type of lawyer you need, you must know what type of case you have. For example, if you are injured on the job, then you likely need a worker’s compensation lawyer. If you are injured in an accident with a semi-truck, then you need a lawyer with experience handling truck accidents. The Internet is a great resource for general information.

2.     Identify the Type of Injury You Have

Research your particular injury. Personal injury lawyers insist on running generic, catch-all ads, instead of focusing their ads on particular injuries. Many “run-of-the-mill” personal injury lawyers believe they can make more money by handling every injury case that comes in the door. While almost all personal injury lawyers have experience handling neck and back injuries, most personal injury lawyers do not have experience with more specialized injuries, like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, RSD, amputations, scars, etc.

Instead of handling all types of injury claims, many highly successful personal injury lawyers limit their practice to specific types of injuries. This allows them to better focus their time. They are not learning new medicine for every case. They are very comfortable with the best experts in the fields of medicine in which they practice and they are not intimidated when faced with medical experts that have been retained by the insurance companies to say that their client was not injured. As a result, they are in a much better position to obtain the appropriate amount of damages for their clients with those particular types of injuries because they have a better idea as to the amount a jury may award for these kinds of injuries.

3.     Search for Names of Potential Lawyers

Once you know what type of case you have and what type of injury you have, you can start searching for lawyers that have experience in those types of cases with those types of injuries. Again, the Internet is a great resource. The Yellow Pages may also be of benefit, however, not as much help just because there is a limited amount of information that can fit on one or two pages. Television is even less helpful, because of the time limit on the ads.

Once you have your list of possible lawyers, you should do the following:

  • Read their particular websites closely
  • Check out the organizations to which they belong. They may belong to particular organizations that deal with your particular case or your particular injury
  • Ask around. The majority of quality personal injury lawyers get most of their cases from referrals.

4.     Call and Request Written Material From the Lawyer

It is absolutely critical that you choose the right lawyer the first time in Wisconsin. You obviously have the option of calling the lawyer and setting up an appointment, however, if you first get written material from the lawyer, then you cannot be pressured into signing something you may later regret. You will be able to first read the lawyer’s educational materials and then decide on your own time whether this lawyer is right for you and your case.

If you call a law firm for written materials and instead of politely sending some information they attempt to get you into their office, then beware. If they do not have informative, written materials, or if they are pressuring you to come in and sign a retainer, then they are probably not reputable.

Keep in mind that the ethics rules prevent lawyers from directly contacting you in person, by telephone, or by email. If this happens you should report it to the Office of Lawyer Regulation.

5.     Set Up an Appointment and Ask Questions

Now that you are comfortable that you have done the necessary background research, it is time to set up a face to face meeting with the lawyer. Think of this meeting as your chance to cross-examine a lawyer. Ask the tough questions and don’t let the lawyer side step around any important questions. If they are competent, they will appreciate your persistence and answer your question much more directly.

So what questions do you ask? Here are some suggestions:

  • How long have you been practicing law?
  • Have you ever had a case like mine, i.e. auto accident , truck accident, motor cycle accident, slip and fall, products liability, medical malpractice, etc.? How many? How did they turn out?
  • Have you ever represented people with my type of injuries before?  How did those cases turn out?
  • Do you belong to any professional organizations that are pertinent to my case? (Examples include accident or injury-specific groups, such as the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, AAJ Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, etc.)
  • Have you ever been disciplined by the State Bar of Wisconsin? If so, for what?
  • How do you obtain most of your cases?
  • How many active cases are you personally handling at the present time?
  • What is the most difficult thing about my case?
  • What is the process involved in handling my case, i.e. what steps will you go through?
  • Who will be working on my case?
  • When will my case be ready to be resolved?
  • How much money is my case worth? (No lawyer can answer that question with any specificity but you should still ask. If the lawyer does give you a specific number walk, no run out the door).
  • How much is your retainer fee and how is it structured?

Hopefully, this post will enable you to make an informed decision in hiring the right lawyer for your Wisconsin Personal Injury case. Click on the link for more information on Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney in Wisconsin.

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