How to Find the Top Medical Malpractice Attorneys for Your Unique Situation

Even the most common medical malpractice cases can require a highly experienced and knowledgeable attorney, but if you have a unique situation, you need to know how to find the top medical malpractice attorneys who have a track record of success with even the most difficult cases. There are some ways to ensure you have hired the right firm for your circumstances and to feel comfortable putting your case in their hands.

Get a Recommendation From a Lawyer

When you let people know that you’re looking for a medical malpractice lawyer, everyone is going to have an opinion, especially if they’ve had to go through a similar process. Getting a recommendation from your friends or family might work if you had a basic case, but if you’re looking at a unique set of circumstances, you want to ensure that any recommendation you receive is from someone who really knows the business.

For this reason, seek out a recommendation from another attorney who you know and trust. The attorney doesn’t even have to be associated with the medical malpractice branch of law, but they will likely know the top attorneys who deal with medical malpractice claims. In the legal world, the big-name attorneys become well-known even in areas they do not practice in. Attorneys in other areas should be able to give you the names of at least one reputable medical malpractice lawyer.

Consult Your State’s Bar Association

Another way to find medical malpractice lawyers who are practicing in your state is to contact your state’s bar association, which will provide you with a list of attorneys qualified to handle your case.

In most cases, they even operate a referral system that will actually connect you with lawyers who can help you. You can either call or email the bar association or fill out the form on its website to begin the referral process.

Online Research

You can also do your own research online to find a medical malpractice attorney that has handled cases like yours before. This actually may be the best place to start your search because if you want an attorney who has been successful with similar cases, you can use the Internet archives to identify press coverage of any high-profile situation that resembles yours. You might even find there are several attorneys in your area who have previously handled these situations.

Perhaps your situation is so uncommon that you are actually the first person in your area to deal with it and there are no success stories from medical malpractice lawyers to be found. Even in that case, online research can be helpful because you’ll still find the biggest names in medical malpractice in your area. You’ll be directed to their websites where you can conduct research on their success record and schedule a consultation to meet the ones you choose.

Interview Prospective Attorneys

Probably the most important factor in choosing the medical malpractice lawyer to help you with your unique situation is to interview them. They are trying to earn your business, so they should be more than willing to sit down with you and answer your questions. You may learn that an attorney who came highly recommended to you by another lawyer isn’t really the best fit for you because of their communication style or other reason.

Conversely, you might discover that an attorney you found through your own research has won dozens of medical malpractice cases, even if none are exactly like yours. However, they’re eager to help you win your case and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. It will really come down to your intuition as to which attorney is going to be the right one, but the following questions can help you confirm your choice:

Experience:

Of the utmost importance for your search for the top medical malpractice attorney is how much experience they have. Even if they haven’t handled cases exactly like yours, you still want an attorney who has devoted much of their practice to dealing with medical malpractice claims. This does not mean that medical malpractice is the only type of law they practice, but you also don’t want someone who has only handled one medical malpractice case in 10 years.

Some related questions you want to ask your prospective attorney is how many medical malpractice claims have they settled, how big their settlements have been, and whether they have any experience in the courtroom in case your situation ends up in front of a judge and jury. Don’t feel like you’re intruding on your attorney’s private business because they need to disclose at least basic information about previous cases to potential clients to win their business.

Experts

Most medical malpractice cases require medical experts to prove that the action or inaction of the healthcare provider or facility was indeed negligence. This can be difficult to do because the healthcare profession is afforded some protections against malpractice claims based on accepted standards of care. Without an expert witness who can prove negligence, your case will more than likely be dismissed. Your attorney should be able to describe their process for obtaining an expert.

Many medical practice attorneys work with expert witness services that can find an expert that has experience with your specific situation. Other attorneys are so well-connected that they have their own network of expert witnesses who they can have examine your case as soon as you hire them. The main factor to look for when answering this question is whether the attorney knows what they are doing when finding medical experts to support your claim.

Fit:

As mentioned above, finding the best medical malpractice attorney for your situation is going to come down to your own personal preference and your intuition. Before you interview your short-listed candidates, think about how you want your case to be handled. Do you want to be involved every step of the way, or, would you rather only be informed when your input is necessary? When they do communicate with you, do you prefer email messages or telephone calls?

Examining your own preferences will help you narrow down your choices even further so you can get the best attorney for your needs. There may be other information you want to learn from your lawyer before you make a decision, so write down your questions before you arrive at your consultation. That way, you won’t forget to question them about an issue that could be a deal-breaker. You don’t want to switch attorneys in the middle of your case.

Shop Around

While you don’t have to visit 10 attorneys and make a spreadsheet comparing their qualities, you do want to interview several to ensure you get a good feeling about your choice. Consultations with top medical malpractice attorneys are usually free, so you’ll be able to ask your questions and they’ll be able to find out more about your case without either one of you making a commitment. These interviews, though, will make it clear which lawyer is right for you.

Certainly, dealing with a potential medical malpractice claim is a very emotional experience, and finding a top lawyer who can handle your unique situation can take a load off your mind. Call The Nail Law Firm right away and we’ll set your mind at ease with our medical malpractice experience and knowledge.