Have you or a family member suffered a serious injury in a bike accident? If the answer is “yes,” you may need the services of a lawyer to represent your interests. There are more than 1.35 million licensed attorneys in the United States.

Depending on where you live, you may have dozens of options for who you want to hire for your case. Before you begin a search for your attorney, you need to know what to look for in your counsel. 

Read on to learn how to choose the best bicycle accident attorney today!

Learn About Their Experience

You should hire a bicycle accident law firm with a strong reputation and experience in your area. The legal community has many different practice areas — from criminal and family matters to personal injury and insurance disputes. 

The lawyer you hire for your case must be one who practices in the automobile and bicycle accident niche. They also need to be an attorney who’s reputable in the area where your bike crash happened.

When a lawyer is well-known in the community, this can be beneficial in and out of court. They may have relationships with other legal professionals that can assist you in the prosecution of your case. Their experience with bike cases can also enable them to better evaluate the facts and laws that apply to your situation. 

Read Internet Reviews

Internet reviews can be a great resource for information during your attorney search. As many as 84% of people report that they trust internet reviews as much as their own friends or family members!

Take a look at reviews on Google to get insight into how a lawyer practices and their firm operates. It’s important to remember that online reviews can be polarizing one way or another. 

If someone had a great experience or a really bad one, they may be more likely to leave a review than the average client. Although internet reviews can be helpful, they should only make up part of your research for a bicycle accident attorney. 

Speak to Trusted Friends and Family

Your friends and family are arguably your best source of credible information about attorneys that practice in your community. Have you had a friend or family member that’s been injured in a bike crash or car accident? 

Whether it’s on a bike or in a car, lawyers that handle one kind of those cases usually handle both. When you speak to your friend or relative, be sure you are doing so in confidence. It’s also crucial that you don’t share specific information and facts about your case. These statements can be used against you later if your claims become a lawsuit. 

During your talk, ask your friend or relative about what they liked most and least about their attorney.

Were they happy with how the attorney communicated with them during representation? Is there something that they wish went differently during the professional relationship? How were they charged for the lawyer’s services?

The answer to these questions can give you some great insight into what representation by a particular attorney is like. 

Visit Your State’s Bar Website

Your state’s bar website is a good place to go as part of your research for the best bike crash lawyer. When you log-on to the site, you can learn a lot about a lawyer’s professional background.

For example, you can see where they went to law school and the year they graduated. You’ll also learn whether they’ve had any disciplinary action taken against their license. If there is anything to report, you can read about these cases and the outcome.

You will also be able to see if an attorney is currently licensed to practice in your state. Sometimes a lawyer can have a temporary suspension of their license. If that’s the case, this person can’t represent you as an attorney.

Although the unlicensed practice of law is illegal, people may still attempt to do this. Be sure you hiring someone who’s licensed and in good standing with your state bar!

Meet for a Consultation

Once you’ve done your own due diligence, it’s time to reach out to an attorney to set up a consolation. During an initial consultation, an attorney will meet with you to discuss your particular case. 

Treat this consultation like a job interview for you and your attorney. Tell them about your case, but listen to the information that they give you and the way they speak to you. Is the prospective attorney being respectful as they speak to you? Are they taking the time to answer each one of your questions? 

The two most important parts of the attorney-client relationship are trust and communication. You need to feel comfortable speaking with your attorney. You must also be confident that they will keep you updated about your case during the process.

Find the Right Bicycle Accident Attorney 

Finding the right bicycle accident attorney takes time and effort on your part long before you hire one. The lawyer you pick to represent you is crucial for your case because they will be speaking on your behalf to insurance companies, judges, and other attorneys. 

If your claims can’t be resolved short of filing a lawsuit, there’s also a chance that your lawyer will represent you when your case is presented to a jury in court. By spending time learning about your options, you can be confident in your final hiring decision. 

Are you interested in learning more about attorney services for other legal needs you may have? Check out our legal section for more!