How To Find The Top Personal Injury Law Firms In California
Updated: Jun 26
Choosing the right personal injury law firm will make a difference.
Despite what anyone tells you, do not rely on directories, self serving marketing materials and advertising. As previously discussed in the article "How to check if lawyer is licensed in California" these sources are often outdated and do not reflect the truth.
Keep in mind that you need to verify the latest reports from the California State Bar to find out if a particular attorney is being investigated or at risk of being disbarred.
In this guide, we will discuss how to do your own research to find the best personal injury lawyers for your case.
Start by conducting a search online.
Look for a lawyer that specializes in the specific type of accident, for example some are better at car accidents and others specialize in motorcycle accidents. Check client reviews form reliable sources like Google places.
Make a list of potential candidates so you can always go back and cross reference information from different sources.
Check with the California State Bar
Once you have a list of candidates and are comfortable with your choices, check them up by using the "look up a lawyer" tool. You can find a lot of valuable information here, including past disciplinary actions against a particular attorney, you can verify how long they've been practicing law and where they graduated from.
Reach out to the best personal injury law firms to schedule an interview .
Start by contacting the top 3 candidates and have a list of questions ready, here are some common questions you can ask. You will have the answer to some of these questions but ask them anyway to establish trust.
How many years have you been practicing law in California?
Have you handled my type of accident case before?
Where did you graduate from?
Do you personally handle the entire case? If no, could I meet your assistant?
How long have you exclusively practiced personal injury law in California?
Have you taken any cases to trial? if so, what has the outcome?
Have you been disciplined by the California State Bar?
Ask for some examples of previous victories – both verdicts and settlements
Based on your experience, how much do you think my case is worth?
Do you always return calls? What's the best way to get a hold of you?
Statue of limitation for a personal injury claim in California
A statute of limitations is the time you have for filing a lawsuit. Most lawsuits in california MUST be filed before a deadline. In general, once the statute of limitations on a case expires, the legal claim is void.
The period of time during which you can file a lawsuit varies depending on the type of legal claim. For personal injury claims the statue of limitations is two years from the injury. If the injury was not discovered immediately, then it is 1 year from the date the injury was discovered.
Find a pre-screened California personal injury lawyer now.
Related articles:
Choosing the right personal injury attorney in Los Angeles How to check if a lawyer is licensed in California