[Lost_Lady]

Hey everyone, I'm not quite sure what my claim would fall under but I'm pretty sure it's either personal injury or malpractice. Does anyone have any good recommendations for an attorney?

[Kaiminani]

FWIW - recommendations can be pretty spotty - a bad lawyer might do well by one client and terrible by 10 others, but if that one happy client recommends them, you'll never hear about the other 10 who think the lawyer sucks.


One reasonable way to go is to call the local bar association - they keep a list of lawyers who are clear of disciplinary actions and in some states they have even more stringent requirements. When you call they will refer you to the next lawyer on the list for the specialty you need. Typically there is a small fee for the referral, like $30. At least this way you can be sure the lawyer is in good standing.

[Grofica]

Originally Posted by Kaiminani

FWIW - recommendations can be pretty spotty - a bad lawyer might do well by one client and terrible by 10 others, but if that one happy client recommends them, you'll never hear about the other 10 who think the lawyer sucks.


One reasonable way to go is to call the local bar association - they keep a list of lawyers who are clear of disciplinary actions and in some states they have even more stringent requirements. When you call they will refer you to the next lawyer on the list for the specialty you need. Typically there is a small fee for the referral, like $30. At least this way you can be sure the lawyer is in good standing.

I agree with Kaiminani.... awesome recommendaiton!

[Willy702]

Every PI attorney in town has plenty of negative marks against them, just the nature of the job and the clients it attracts. But do be careful. One of Glen Lerner's attorneys sexually assaulted my friend and the police and DA basically said there wasn't enough evidence, but it was clear there was something corrupt going on there to get them to not file charges.

[unf0rgiven6262]

Originally Posted by Lost_Lady

Hey everyone, I'm not quite sure what my claim would fall under but I'm pretty sure it's either personal injury or malpractice. Does anyone have any good recommendations for an attorney?

turn your TV on for five minutes. Not that I believe any of them to be good.

[ClarkGrisowld]

Originally Posted by Lost_Lady

Hey everyone, I'm not quite sure what my claim would fall under but I'm pretty sure it's either personal injury or malpractice. Does anyone have any good recommendations for an attorney?

I don't know if you would get laughed out of the office or not, but ask them for statistics on cases similar to yours, or if that is too specific, then just their civil suits in general. Get it in writing. Ask for the percentage of cases won at trial, the percent of negotiated settlements, and the median (NOT average) amount of settlement.

As I said, I don't know if they can provide that or not. However, if you are a fairly good judge of character, simply how they respond to your request can be indicative of someone to stay away from.

That would be my approach, call it due diligence. Ask them who will handle your case, how much time senior lawyers would be expected to devote and how many junior staffers and their time and rates. Ask them how they determine what and how much resources to allocate. Ask them their criteria for bringing in expert witnesses. Ask them if they have a sliding scale of upfront fee + percentage of any settlement after fees (note: flat or per hour fees = no percentage = in tort cases might be something to steer clear of, but I have no experience there). Most importantly, ask what the weakest/most difficult aspects of your case are!

Do some research and write questions to ask down and take them with you! Many of these questions may be ridiculous and they may not be able to answer some. Whole point is just get the guy talking to help determine if he's more used car salesman than experienced counsel. A few hundred bucks for a hour of time from a couple of different lawyers may be the wisest investment you make.

[Kalbo]

Craig Kenny The Law Offices of Craig P. Kenny & Associates - Las Vegas Nevada Personal Injury and Traffic Violations Attorneys

[dashboardangel]

I've worked in the PI field for about seven years (six in Albuquerque, one here). The one thing I've learned about Las Vegas is that the firms who advertise heavily are the firms to stay away from. Your case will be one of hundreds, or possibly even thousands. I would never recommend my current firm for that exact reason - cases just get lost here, our paralegals are overworked and the attorney does little to nothing when he's here, if he ever comes to work at all.

That's not to say that you should stay away from ALL of the firms that do the big flashy advertising, but just realize that they have to pay for their overhead somehow. I've heard good things about Half Priced Lawyers for example - we've even lost a couple of clients to them. :-O

PM me if you want some advice. I know a few good lawyers in town.

Also, follow ClarkGriswold's advice. Most PI attorneys should work on a contingency fee (plus costs) basis, try to stay away from the ones who don't do that. Also, see if you get to meet the attorney who will be working on your case while you are doing your initial intake, or does he just come in to sign the fee agreement? That to me is key. The ABQ attorneys I worked for always always ALWAYS met with every client who walked through the door, and you never talked to a paralegal about the key parts of your case - just to the attorney. That, to me, is the sign of a good business.

[hockeygirl4]

singing...call eight seven seven, one five oh oh...lol

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by hockeygirl4

singing...call eight seven seven, one five oh oh...lol

glen learner is the way to go call eight seven seven one five oh oh

lol!