How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Attorney for Your Spinal Cord Injury Case

Spinal cord injuries are frightening and often debilitating. Sadly, many are caused by negligence. Victims find themselves suddenly grappling with the fallout of spinal cord injuries and an uncertain future.

Fortunately, spinal cord victims have an advocate. Spinal cord injury attorneys fight to make sure that the compensation their clients receive is fair and reasonable.

There are a lot of personal injury attorneys in Wyoming, many of whom are fine lawyers. The question is, how do you choose the right personal injury lawyer for your particular spinal cord injury case? The guidance that follows can help you narrow down a large field of candidates to find the one who is right for you.

Experience With Spinal Cord Injury Cases

Personal injury lawyers handle all types of cases, from spinal cord injuries to burn injuries. In some cases, personal injury lawyers focus on certain types of injuries.

As you comb through candidates, you should start narrowing your list down to only those with proven experience with spinal injury cases. Spinal injuries present special challenges. The stakes are high and complex, and victims need a lawyer who understands the breadth of the matter.

Track Record of Success

While experience with spinal cord injury cases is important, it’s not enough unless it’s winning experience. The candidates you keep on your list should have a track record showing multiple successful outcomes in spinal cord injury cases.

Success in a spinal injury case means the personal injury attorney recovers reasonable damages owed by law to their client. In spinal injury cases, the damages can total into the millions due to the catastrophic nature of spinal cord injuries.

Damages recovered in a successful spinal injury case include:

• Past, present, and future medical care expenses, including hospital stays and medication
• Costs of medical devices and equipment, such as wheelchairs
• Lost income and lost employment and economic opportunities
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disability

When a spinal cord injury is caused by heinous or egregious behavior, the court may award punitive damages in addition to the above-listed compensatory damages.

Client Reviews

If you want to know what clients think about a law firm, read through multiple sources of client reviews. Law firms and attorneys typically have pages dedicated to client testimonials. Although these are a good place to start, you should not limit yourselves to law-firm-generated testimonials. Instead, peruse the law firm’s reviews on Google Reviews and Yelp!

Other places where you might find reviews include the law firm’s Facebook page or their Instagram site. Read as many reviews as you can and look for reviewers with similar cases to yours.

Legal Fees and Payment Structures

When your list has been whittled down considerably, have a look at the fees and payment structures each candidate offers. You’ll find that most offer contingency billing to their personal injury clients. Contingency billing involves fees that are contingent upon a particular result.

In personal injury cases, the attorney’s fee is taken from the money they recover for you. If the attorney fails to recover any compensation, the attorney is paid nothing. This payment structure means the client’s and attorney’s interests are intertwined. 

Many personal injury lawyers charge an initial 33.33% contingency fee. This means that they will receive 33.33% of any money they recover on your behalf. Keep in mind that the percentage may rise to due case complexities or the need for a trial.

Availability and Communication

After a lawyer takes your case, you want to be kept in the loop and updated regularly. You also want to know that you can reach your Wyoming injury attorney when you have pressing concerns about your case.

When choosing the right lawyer, find out how available your attorney will be. Can you reach them with concerns, or will you be routinely routed to support staff? You need assurances that your attorney or attorneys care about you. Nothing says “I care” better than open communication and availability.

Questions to Ask During Your Initial Consultation

Personal injury attorneys typically offer free consultations. During these consultations, you have the opportunity to ask many pertinent questions relating to their services and approach to clients.

If you are a spinal cord injury victim, you will want the attorney to spend some time talking about their experience in these matters. Asking what experience they have with spinal cord injury cases will yield valuable information.

You may also want to inquire about the resources the attorney will devote to your case. Does the firm or law office have investigators, paralegals, or other support staff? Will attorneys be working on most of the case, or will paralegals and assistants be handling the brunt of it?

Ultimately, you want a firm or attorney who is devoted to your legal goals and who has the experience and track record to help you reach them. You also want an advocate who keeps in regular contact with you about your case and its progress.

FAQ

Should I Take Into Account How I Feel Around My Wyoming Injury Lawyer?

Yes. You need someone who makes you feel as important as you are and who treats you kindly and respectfully.

Is There a Time Limit for Personal Injury Lawsuits in Wyoming?

Yes. When you find the right attorney, don’t hesitate to hire them. The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Wyoming is four years. Don’t delay.

How Long Will My Spinal Cord Injury Case Take?

It depends on the unique circumstances of your personal injury case. The right lawyer will do what they can for a prompt resolution of your case.

Look No Further Than The Spence Law Firm

Your search for the right personal injury lawyer for your spinal injury case could end with The Spence Law Firm. We have the experience, capabilities, and compassion to represent victims of spinal cord injuries, and we’re ready to meet with you and discuss your case. Call for a free consultation today.