You were just walking inside a building in Arizona, minding your business, when you suddenly felt the pull of gravity. You slipped and fell due to the floor being wet or because of a flooring material. The latter is common; they contribute directly to over two million fall injuries in the U.S. yearly.
Unfortunately, the incident resulted in you sustaining severe injuries. These may include sprains, strains, broken bones, or even a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
In that case, consider hiring one of the best slip-and-fall attorneys in your area. With a lawyer on your side, you’re more likely to obtain compensation for your pain and suffering.
This guide provides tips to help you make a more educated decision when hiring a lawyer for your slip-and-fall case, so read on.
1. Look for Lawyers Specializing in Slip-and-Fall Injury Cases
Lawyers who handle injury cases are what you call personal injury attorneys. They practice tort law, a branch of the legal system that aims to redress a wrong done to someone and provide relief from others’ wrongful acts. This relief is usually in the form of monetary compensation.
Most personal injury attorneys are auto accident lawyers. As the term suggests, these professionals specialize in automobile incidents. However, they may also be experts in medical negligence, animal bites, or slip-and-fall injuries.
That said, the first thing to look for in a personal injury lawyer is their specialization in slip-and-fall cases. You can do this by checking each of your prospects’ websites to see if they handle cases similar to yours.
2. Verify the Lawyer’s Success Rate
Suppose you now have at least three personal injury lawyers on your list of prospects. Let’s also say they handle both slip-and-fall and auto accident cases.
If so, check the attorney’s success rate in handling slip-and-fall cases. A good enough reason is that they may have a high success rate for car accident cases but not so much for those involving slips and falls.
While they’re both civil cases, they still differ in that they have varying liable parties. For example, in a car crash, such parties may include the at-fault driver, vehicle owner, auto manufacturer, and even a mechanic who worked on the car.
By contrast, in a slip-and-fall accident, liable parties may include the following:
- Owner of the building where the accident occurred
- A building employee or worker
- A building contractor
- Floor and flooring material manufacturers
A slip-and-fall lawyer with a high success rate has used their skills and knowledge to determine all at-fault parties in their previous cases. This is why they obtained the highest possible compensation for their past clients. So, they’ll also use their skills and knowledge to determine all liable parties in your case.
3. Confirm the Lawyer’s Arizona State Bar Status
No lawyer can practice law in Arizona without first becoming a member of the State Bar. To become a member, a lawyer must pass the rigorous admission process enforced by the Arizona Supreme Court. It involves passing the Bar Exam, having good moral character, and having the mental, emotional, and physical capacity to practice law.
Once admitted, all Arizona lawyers must uphold the State Bar’s standards on proper professional conduct. Failure to do so can result in disciplinary actions against the violating lawyers.
Remember that you’re hiring a slip-and-fall lawyer to fight for your rights as a victim. Therefore, you must be able to trust them to do everything they can to get you the compensation you deserve. For the same reason, they must be in good standing with the State Bar, indicating they are credible, professional, and law-abiding.
So, before choosing an attorney, check their status with the Arizona State Bar first. This can help you determine if your prospective lawyer is in good standing or if they have any history of complaints and violations.
4. Check Peer Reviews
Peer reviews are objective evaluations made by lawyers for other lawyers. You can find them on the following sites:
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Avvo
- Laywers.com
- Legal Match
- Justia
- Best Lawyers
Peer reviews are a good, unbiased indicator of a lawyer’s professional ability and ethical conduct. They’re also accurate, as they’re from other attorneys, the people best suited to evaluate their colleagues.
5. Learn What Past Clients Have to Say
You should also take the time to read client reviews. They provide a closer look into other people’s firsthand experiences with your prospective lawyers. They can give you a better understanding of an attorney’s:
- Communication skills
- Expertise in handling cases that may be similar to yours
- Success rate (many clients often say if their lawyer won their case or not)
- Other crucial attributes (e.g., attentiveness, responsiveness, empathy, trustworthiness)
- Weaknesses that led to client dissatisfaction (e.g., poor communication and listening skills)
You can often find client reviews on the same websites as peer reviews.
6. Assess Your Prospects via a Free Consultation
Most personal injury attorneys offer free, non-obligatory case consultations. These usually run for 30 to 45 minutes, wherein you and a legal expert discuss your case. So, take advantage of them, as you’ll also learn if you have a meritable case and, if so, how much damage you can recover.
Free consultations can also help you assess a lawyer’s characteristics, personality, and professionalism.
For instance, mind how the lawyer speaks with you and their mannerisms during the consult. Do they wait for you to finish talking before they speak up, or do they keep interrupting you? Do they sound empathetic and courteous or rude and condescending?
What you want is someone who makes you feel comfortable and you think you can trust. So, if they make you feel otherwise, feel free to take your case someplace else.
That’s How to Find the Best Slip-and-Fall Attorneys
Remember: Arizona’s best slip-and-fall attorneys have a high success rate of getting the maximum possible compensation for their clients. They also have good standing with the AZ State Bar and have positive peer and client reviews. Lastly, they’re excellent listeners and will make you feel comfortable.
So, keep all those things in mind, and you’ll most likely find the best Arizona attorney for your slip-and-fall case.
