What qualities to look for in a top personal injury/accident lawyer.

If you are trying to find a quality personal injury lawyer to represent you , if you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault this article may help you. First of all it is of vital importance to hire an attorney that specializes in personal injury or accidents. There are two main reasons for this:

#1 The world of personal injury law in Florida is very complex and specialized. This is a specialty that requires a lawyer who handles accident cases regularly, on a full time basis, and has extensive experience.

#2 Insurance companies know who the attorneys are in your area that handle accident cases and know of their settlement and trial histories. The insurance companies then use this knowledge to evaluate their "risk" of having to pay out money in a claim based upon the attorney in a particular case.

Here are some of my suggestions or tips when looking for an accident or personal injury attorney:

1.Choose not only an attorney who specializes in personal injury, but one who understands the particular medicine involved in your case as well.

2. Choose an attorney who is willing to go to trial. Insurance companies keep a list of the personal injury attorneys who are willing to, and do, go to trial. Basically, the insurance company will pay more money to settle a case out of court if there is a greater chance or "risk" they will try the case in court. This is why having an attorney with a notable reputation of going to trial can actually increase your chances of avoiding trial.

3.Make sure the lawyer you are interviewing has the financial ability to present your case effectively; many times it is necessary for a personal injury lawyer to advance a lot of money for expensive experts and technology to prove a case.

4.Find out about how the attorney's office is set up and how it functions. For example:
Who will be working on your case?
Who negotiates cases with the insurance company?
Is there adequate support staff?
Does the lawyer take all the cases that come through their door?
How much time does the lawyer actually spend on a case, or is it just handed over paralegals?
How does communication occur between the office and the client?

Beware; there are some attorneys that pride themselves on having a big stack of cases and not necessarily on the results of each case, or some that spend most of their time signing up cases and little time working on the case.

5. Make sure the attorney is licensed in the state where your case will be filed. Insurance companies know who is not licensed and therefore can not actually try the case, so you will be at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiations. Also, laws vary from state to state.

6. Choose an attorney who is both competent and who you feel comfortable with.
Remember, just because a lawyer is likeable, does not mean that he or she will be the most qualified attorney to help you win your case. It is important that you like your attorney, or at least respect him or her; however, it should not be the only basis for your hiring decision.

We at the Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon and Associates strongly believe that public education is the first step in the prevention of an accident or in the recovery from one.

We are experienced personal injury attorneys, trial lawyers, negotiators, litigators and staff that have been proudly working to get accident victims the justice they deserve for over 30 years in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, and the rest of North Central Florida and North Florida. Accidents involving a car crash, truck wreck, and motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents, dog bites, slip and falls and medical malpractice are all included in our practice.

Based on Jeffrey Meldon's, founder of The Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon & Associates, over 30 years of helping accident victims get justice and a fair shake from the insurance companies he has written the consumer guide book, Seven Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Florida Accident Case. You can request your free, no obligation copy right now, or contact our office for your complimentary copy sent to you today.

Contact the Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon at (800) 373-8000 or (352) 373-8000 immediately if you have been involved in a serious auto, truck or motorcycle accident. We are in your community, have the experience and resources required to work towards obtaining a fair settlement for you - we are here to help you.

We proudly handle accidents that occur on all roads and in the areas including: I-75, I-10, I-95, U.S. Route 301, U.S. Route 441, State Road 40, State Road 26, State Road 24, Archer Road, Main St, and University Avenue. Our law firm has been representing accident victims in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, Palatka, Crystal River, Daytona Beach, Interlachen, Spring Hill, Dunnellon, Bunnell, Live Oak, Starke, Jasper, Cross City, Perry, Trenton, Leesberg, Lake Butler, Tavares, Chiefland, Bronson, Brooksville, The Villages and the counties of Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Citrus, Volusia, Sumter, Levy, Lake, Bradford, Flagler, Hamilton, Dixie, Gilchrist, Union, Hernando, Suwannee, Union, and Putnam since 1971!

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Jeffrey Meldon & Associates, PA

703 North Main Street
Suite A
Gainesville, FL 32601
Phone: (352) 373-8000
Fax: (352) 373-8400
Toll Free: (800) 373-8000
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