What to Look For in a Great Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. In Illinois, that compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, as well as non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. Since so much is at stake, it’s important to choose the right personal injury attorney. Here are a few things to look for when seeking the best attorney for your needs.

Accessibility

The attorney-client relationship works best when it is a partnership. Your partner should be accessible and ready to answer your questions. There are so many questions that will arise in the aftermath of a serious injury and there will be many more as you wind through the process

Some lawyers are so busy that you can barely schedule an initial consultation. These attorneys may treat your case like a number, or they may even hand off most of the work to a junior attorney or a paralegal. Conversely, if the attorney is not busy at all, there may be a reason for that.

The attorneys at Coogan Gallagher are ready to discuss your case. Use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

Experience

Law school teaches attorneys a lot, but it simply does not prepare a lawyer to investigate your case, sit down with you and explain the process, or to represent you in court through a complex jury trial. Law school usually teaches people to think like lawyers, but many students do not learn key procedural and evidentiary rules. They definitely do not learn the unwritten rules.

Your attorney should have more than simply ‘years of experience.’ Your lawyer should also have practical experience in personal injury law specifically. This means finding out whether that lawyer has dealt with the insurance companies you’re making claims with, whether they’ve dealt with the lawyers who will defend the case, and whether they have stood in front of a jury and convinced them that a serious injury demands serious justice.

The attorneys at Coogan Gallagher have deep experience in personal injury cases. Learn more about our attorneys here.

Dedication

On a similar note, your attorney should be dedicated to personal injury law, or at least to litigation in general. Transactional law, like contract drafting and will preparation, is an important area of law—but the mentality is completely different, and it is very difficult to switch gears.

At the same time, diversity is usually a good thing. An attorney who practices different areas of law usually knows how to look at issues from a different point of view. These lawyers can also anticipate some common insurance company defenses in personal injury matters.

As a rule, your lawyer should devote at least 80 percent of their time to personal injury or litigation matters. A quick look at the practice areas noted on an attorney’s website should give you the information you need.

At Coogan Gallagher, we are a firm of dedicated personal injury cases. This is our focus, and it’s what we do best.

Location

If you were injured, it is probably difficult to work your schedule around doctor visits and other such activities. Additionally, on some days, it is probably hard to get out of bed.

Therefore, your attorney should probably be close to your home. Driving all the way across Chicagoland to visit with your attorney may be okay for a while, but the routine will get old fast. Partners must spend time with each other, and during these meetings, they must focus on the task at hand.

Coogan Gallagher has offices in downtown Chicago and Palos Hills. Our attorneys will travel to meet you as needed.

Call Coogan Gallagher Today

Choosing the right lawyer is a very big decision. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Chicago, contact Coogan Gallagher today.