Getting into an accident can have severe, unexpected consequences. You’ll be in physical and mental pain for quite some time. To top it off, you’ll also have a slew of medical bills to pay for. However, if you haven’t been working, then your medical bills might start to stack up against you. Before you collapse under the crushing weight of these unforeseen, unwanted consequences, find a personal injury attorney to help you get back up and to help you get your life back on track.

Personal injury attorneys help their clients reach settlements that cover the costs associated with many accidents, including the following:

• Car accidents
• Work accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Construction accidents
• Oil and gas field accidents

However, there are some important criteria you should consider when picking your personal injury attorney. Here are the top criteria that really make a difference when it comes to building a strong attorney-client relationship with remarkable representation and real results.

Trustworthy

Your personal injury attorney should be trustworthy. Many details of your case will be confidential and private. A trustworthy attorney will respect both you and your case, protecting the details of your case from parties who are not involved.

Trustworthiness is also an important criteria to consider when you are picking your personal injury attorney for personal and financial reasons. Lets face it. No one wants to work with a liar or a cheat.

Organized

Your personal injury attorney should also be organized. The details of your case should be kept in a “paper” file cabinet or “paperless” database. They should also be backed up somewhere safe in case something unexpected happens.

Organization is also an important criteria to consider when you are picking your personal injury attorney for professional reasons. If it takes your personal injury attorney hours to find or remember the details of your case, both your time and money will be wasted.

Punctual

In addition, your personal injury attorney should be punctual. There are many important dates that will address the details of your case from consultations and meetings to negotiation or mediation and court dates. If your personal injury attorney is late, you will just be wasting your time and money.

Punctuality is also an important criteria to consider when you are picking your personal injury attorney for practical reasons. Without this criteria, you may end up having to reschedule important dates, which can be difficult to do. Save yourself the time and trouble.

Efficient

Your personal injury attorney should also be efficient. If the details of your case are complicated, an efficient attorney will be able to understand them, act accordingly, and simplify any aspects of your case that you need to understand.

Efficiency is also an important criteria to consider when you are picking your personal injury attorney for a variety of reasons. This criteria means getting things done in a timely fashion. Who wouldn’t want that?

Experienced

Last but not least, your personal injury attorney should be experienced. If the details of your case are unclear, then an experienced attorney will know how to clarify necessary details. An experienced attorney will also know how to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your case based on these details.

Experience is also an important criteria to consider when you are picking your personal injury attorney for many reasons. However, don’t be afraid to pick an attorney without decades or even years of experience. He or she may still be the right attorney for you.

Although many of these criteria seem obvious or given, there are many lawyers out there who do not meet them. Research your potential personal injury attorneys carefully before picking the best one for you.

Paul Colley practices personal injury law at his Austin, Texas firm Colley & Colley, LLP. Colley is best known as a Car Acccident lawyer, but his practice is diverse and wide.

Photo Credit: Phillip Pessar (CC BY 2.0)