There are so many? Are they all good?
Here is how to find the best personal injury attorney near you for your Utah car accident insurance claim. Not every attorney is equal and not every attorney who advertises personal injury is really a personal injury attorney who regularly practices car accident law.
Here is what to look for, or ask when selecting a Provo, Utah car accident lawyer:
(1). Focused on Car Accident. Is the attorney focused on taking car accidents an maybe one other area of law? Or is the attorney a general practice attorney, taking Bankruptcies, drafting wills and estates and doing some divorces to pay the bills?
You will get better results selecting a Utah car accident attorney who focuses on car accidents. They will know the insurance companies. They will know the local adjusters. They will know how the process works, making the whole experience much smoother.
Would you hire a dentist to do your knee surgery? NO. Don’t hire a general practice attorney to handle your car accident.
(2). A Trial Lawyer. They Take Cases to a Jury Trial. The gold standard in being a Utah car accident lawyer is taking car accident cases all the way to a jury trial when needed. And having the experience with jury trials to get the best results.
So many personal injury attorneys have never been in the courtroom and the insurance companies know it. A real practicing Utah car accident attorney focused on car accident work will take 1-3 cases to a civil jury trial every year.
(3). Age and Experience. You want young doctors and old lawyers is the old adage. Lawyer is a people business and you want an experienced jury trial lawyer with at least 20 juries under their belts when handling your important car accident case.
Jury trial experience, especially civil jury trial experience, doesn’t come fast or easily. Hiring an attorney who has courtroom scars, battles and victories will make the entire process a lot smoother. Generally 10 years as an attorney is the average seasoning mark for experienced jury trial personal injury lawyers.
(4). Law Firm Size. Personal injury car accident cases can be very expensive. Make sure you hire a car accident lawyer who has the financial ability to hire the best experts to prove your case. Small, solo practice attorneys or law firms sometimes don’t have the experience or money to front to hire the best experts.
Here are some common costs in litigating a Provo, Utah car accident.
Medical Causation Expert. At minimum, you will need a medical doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor to prove medical causation at any jury trial. Without this minimum medical expert your case will FAIL and never see the light of a jury trial verdict.
Orthopedic Surgeon. $3,000 for initial report. When surgeries are involved you often will need to hire a surgeon to tell the jury that your client’s surgeries where related to, and caused by the car accident. The initial report is around $3,000 and having the orthopedic or neurosurgeon testify live in court is another $5,000.
Life Care Planner. Economist. Vocational Rehab Expert, etc. These are just some experts that can bill around $250 plus an hour to produce critical reports and testimony to prove and capture your damages caused by the car accident.
(5). Gut Feeling. At your first meeting with the attorney. Deep down inside do you feel comfortable with the attorney, do you believe in him? If you have a bad feeling, find another attorney. Trust your gut. Also—most good attorneys don’t advertise heavy, so any TV, Radio billboard attorneys may not be your best choice.
Provo, Utah Car Accident Attorney Jake Gunter. Call / TXT (801) 373-6345 for a free consultation.
Jake has nearly 20 years of trying jury trials for people injured through no fault of their own or accused of crimes.
Jake goes to court nearly 5 times per week and has done so for his entire career. He only represents people, he rarely represents business and has never represented insurance companies. He has over 1,500 court appearances, in Michigan, Utah and military tribunals (way less on military issues).
Jake has tried 28 jury trial cases to verdict as first chair. Not second as second chair, or sitting at counsel’s table as a young associate (he did that too), but as first chair. Running the case in front of the jury.
Jake is a partner at Howard Lewis & Petersen, PC. His law firm was found in 1950 by Jackson Howard and has traditionally had around 10-15 lawyers working on full service of legal issues. He has the ability to financially hire and front case costs and expert witnesses to prove your case. This matters. www. Provolawyers.com