When you have endured injuries in a freak accident in New Hampshire that happened due to someone’s reckless action, you should find ways to seek a settlement. Personal injury laws are created to help victims, but it is not rare for people to give up on their claims. No matter the cause or party on the other side, you need to seek legal help. Below are a few simple tips for finding the right New Hampshire injury lawyer.
- Start early. You have limited time to file a personal injury lawsuit. State laws vary, and in New Hampshire, the deadline is three years from the date of injury. If you don’t act immediately, you may miss that cap and end up losing evidence that would help recover fair compensation. Get an attorney on your side as soon as you get injured.
- Ask around. If you know people who have filed injury claims in the past and have hired an attorney, you should ask for references. You can alternatively check online. There are independent websites that have ready listings for different cities.
- Check the reviews. If a law firm has too many negative reviews or ratings, it is clearly a negative indicator. Make sure that you look for unbiased reviews on Google, and also remember that people don’t like to post positive reviews all the time, which means that you will find more negative reviews.
- Ask about the lawyer. Is the lawyer experienced enough? Do they deal with injury lawsuits regularly in their practice? What are their areas of specialization? How busy are they at the moment? As a client, it is best to step in with a list of questions.
- Discuss if they can go to court. That’s another aspect victims miss out on. While personal injury lawsuits in NH don’t usually go to trial, that is still a possibility. You need an attorney who can negotiate the settlement but can also be aggressive when required. Ask the attorney if they have been to court for such cases and what are the typical outcomes.
- Ask about their fee. Unlike criminal lawyers who take an hourly rate or work on a retainer basis, personal injury lawyers take a part of the settlement, which is called the contingency fee. It is best to be clear about the lawyer’s fee, which should not exceed 40%.
Call an attorney today to learn more about your claim and how you should proceed.