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Most individuals will probably be involved in a personal injury case but once in their lives, and are therefore generally uninformed about the process. Personal Injury Attorney was developed to educate the public about said process so that they can make more informed decisions when pursuing their personal injury claim.

We do not accept advertising from, nor recommend any specific attorneys. Rather, we exist solely as an objective third-party with the goal of informing our readers about the process of retaining legal services as well as filing a personal injury lawsuit. We hope to arm the public with the information necessary to make educated decisions regarding their case.

Below you'll find articles ranging from what to look for in a personal injury attorney to what decisions you as the client will have to make during the litigation process. If you're an individual involved in a personal injury matter and you have questions about the process, or if you're an attorney who uses Personal Injury Attorney as a resource to help inform your clients, we invite you to contact us with any suggestions and/or inquiries you may have.

The Problem with Lawyer Ranking and Rating Sites

The Rise of The Internet for Legal Search According to the World Bank, 78.1 percent of people in the United States use the internet. So it seems obvious that people would turn to the internet to shop for their potential personal injury lawyer. And so it is. In fact, 93% percent of the 228 million adult internet users are using online search engines to learn about local services, law services being one of them. This large audience, however, has given rise to a questionable cottage industry which is dominating the legal marketing world… Lawyer Rankings Sites. What are Lawyer Rankings Sites? …Continue Reading

The Problem, Part 1: U.S. News & World Report

The Scoop U.S. News & World Report (USWR) is a well-known and trusted resource for everything from college rankings to doctor and lawyer rankings. The media outlet has been releasing various ranking lists since the late 1980’s. It is nearly impossible to determine just how quantitatively influential their rankings are; literally, if you google any of the following in quotations, no results are found: “us news and world report impact” “us news ranking impact” “us news and world report ranking impact” “who reads us news and world report” To not use quotations yields only news produced by USWR or relating …Continue Reading

The Problem Part 2: Avvo

The Scoop According to their website, Avvo was founded in 2006 by Michael Britton. He, “knew there had to a better way to select professionals than the Yellow Pages ‘pay-to-play” model.’ At the time, the Yellow Pages were the medium that doctors and lawyers used to advertise their services. Accordingly, Avvo’s mission is to, “help people make the best decisions for their important medical and legal needs.” Avvo does this by: Offering consumers the opportunity to view lawyers’ professional information, including clients’ reviews of lawyers. Providing consumers with the Avvo Rating of a lawyer. An Analysis of Their Criteria and …Continue Reading

The Problem Part 3: Super Lawyers

The Scoop Super Lawyers is a lawyer rating service; unlike Avvo, Super Lawyers are not given a numerical rating. Lawyers deemed “Super Lawyers” have been highly recognized in the law field both by peers and through professional achievement; Super Lawyers may also be nominated to be “Rising Stars,” a more selective appointment. In addition to their rating service, Super Lawyers publishes state/region based magazines and special sections in city/regional magazines throughout the country. Their magazine content features “the list and profiles of selected attorneys,” and paid for ads, all of which is distributed to attorneys and ABA law schools; publication …Continue Reading

Personal Injury Case Mediations: Who the Participants Are and What To Expect

The dictionary definition for a Mediation is “a negotiation to resolve differences that is conducted by some impartial party.” In the context of a Personal Injury Case, however, a mediation has a rather specific meaning, with particular actors, procedures, and expectations. In this article we will explain what is likely to happen in a mediation and what you can expect. The Participants: The following is a list of the relevant participants who are typically involved in a mediation, as well as a brief summary of what to expect from each: Mediator – A mediator in a personal injury case is an impartial …Continue Reading

Referral vs. Handling Attorney: 4 Ways To Tell The Difference and Why it Matters

What is a “Referral Attorney”? A referral attorney is generally defined as an attorney who typically does not take the lead in the actual advancement of litigation. Their activity ranges on one extreme from just getting the client’s contact information and passing it along to another attorney, to playing a secondary role by handling some aspect of the case such as gathering records or client interfacing. Why Should I, the Client, Care Whether An Attorney is a Referring or Handling Attorney? Deciding whether to involve referring counsel isn’t a clear cut decision one way or the other. They can assist in …Continue Reading

Formula to Determine the Worth of Your Personal Injury Case

Often attorneys prefer to leave their clients in the dark when it comes to the value of their case. Some may do this out of a hope that the client will maintain reasonable expectations. Others may do it to avoid a client misinterpreting what they say as a guaranty, resulting in problems between the client and the lawyer at the resolution of the case. The following formula is not intended to provide a guaranty of the future value of a particular case, but it will provide an understanding of where case values come from and give a client a tool …Continue Reading

Understanding Lawsuit Proceeds Distributions: How a Hypothetical $100,000 Settlement Actually Gets Broken Out

You see the headlines. Large verdicts and settlements happen everyday. It seems like every one of these plaintiffs is getting rich. That is seldom true in a personal injury case. Let me illustrate using a hypothetical $100,000.00 settlement. The actual distribution of any individual case will be determined by the legal contract between the attorney and the client. But this should allow for a little better understanding about how settlements are actually distributed. Legal Fees First The first thing that will come out of the $100,000.00 is the legal fee. This fee ranges but is usually around 40-45% of the …Continue Reading

Personal Injury Lawsuit Dictionary: 10 Must Know Legal Terms

Below are 10 terms common to personal injury cases that are likely to come up in your discussions with your attorney. By educating yourself about the legal meaning of these words you can be better prepared to meaningfully contribute to the litigation process. Damages: Damages refer to the harm suffered by an individual. There are two types of damages that compensate an injured party: economic damages and noneconomic damages. Economic damages compensate for things like medical expenses and lost wages. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, compensate for intangibles such as mental anguish, disfigurement and physical impairment. In addition to …Continue Reading

My Personal Injury Attorney Wants to Settle: Is He Being Weak or Smart?

Lawsuits are being settled outside of the courtroom at a greater rate these days. However, many clients often wonder whether settling their case is the right thing to do. There are many advantages to entering into a settlement rather than taking a case to trial. These advantages drive many attorneys to recommend settlement. Jury Uncertainty The most significant advantage of settling a lawsuit is avoiding the risk and uncertainty of trial. Trials are not guaranteed victories. Rather, the outcome depends on a number of factors, including the jury and the judge that hear the case. In addition to listening to …Continue Reading

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10 tips for hiring a personal injury attorney