Law Articles And Legal Issues

Attorney Advertising: How To Choose an Injury and Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Attorney advertising and how to choose an attorney from an ad. "Ooh, ooh, pick me," "No, pick me," yelled the ad in the phone book. "I needed an accident lawyer to find out what I need to do since I was hit from behind last week. I looked in the yellow pages in Brooklyn, and found over 40 pages of lawyer ads. Who do I pick?"

The truth is, not all lawyers advertise. Those who do are required to list specific areas of law in which they practice. In New York, injury and malpractice lawyers are not allowed to call themselves 'experts' in their field of law. Nor can they misrepresent themselves in an advertisement. For example, they cannot stand next to a person with a cast on their leg, in a wheelchair and a pile of cash on the table claiming that since this person recovered all that money, he or she could do the same for you. That's nothing more than a shameless sales pitch. The reality is that no lawyer can claim to get you "cold hard cash" because every case is different. Some lawyers claim that they can "Settle your case fast!" Sure they can, for a lower amount than your case might be worth.

Don't you think the insurance companies that deal with law firms like those know they're looking for a fast settlement? There's no incentive for the insurance company to offer top dollar because they know that this law firm isn't going to take the case to trial. They're settlers!

There are some yellow pages ads that proclaim the lawyers handle everything from criminal to real estate to injury cases to malpractice matters. Be weary of a firm that claims they can do everything. In today's legal climate it's rare that a general practice firm can do all that extremely well. That's why there are firms that focus exclusively on one or two areas of law, such as medical malpractice and personal injury.

If you call a law firm you've found in the yellow pages, ask these important questions: Who will be handling my case day to day? When will I meet with the partner? Who will be negotiating my case? Who will be trying my case? How quickly are my phone calls returned? What is your experience with my type of case? How many cases do each of your attorneys handle at one time?

Does the size of the lawyer's ad mean they're a better firm than the one with a ½ page ad or smaller ad? No. It only means that the larger ad costs a lot more (The Verizon yellow pages charges lawyers about $6,500-$7,000 per month for a full page ad. In some counties, lawyers take out a double page ad which can cost between $12,000-$15,000 PER MONTH!). That's not a typo. That's per month. We've all been trained to think that just because an ad is larger, that it must somehow correlate to how well that firm does for its' clients. Not necessarily true. You must ask lots of questions and you must become an informed consumer before you choose to hire an attorney based upon an ad in the yellow pages.

Ask the attorney you call whether they can recommend another colleague to get another opinion about your case. If they're reluctant to do this, I suggest you look elsewhere. Why should the lawyer be afraid to recommend another good lawyer? In all likelihood the injured client will stay with them, especially when they've been so honest and willingly advised the client to get another opinion.

Ask the attorney for references from clients he's helped. Ask about cases he's lost, and ask whether he's ever had a client go to another attorney after he started their case. The lawyer you choose must be able to communicate with you and spend time explaining the legal process and what to expect down the road. I've never liked it when I'm handed off to a junior associate to handle my questions and the rookie has to go back to the senior partner with all of my questions. Like many of you, I appreciate personal attention- especially in a case where the injuries are severe and life altering. Having an attorney know your file as well as you do, if not better, is extremely important.

When you call the lawyer's office for an update on your case, do you really want to be asked "How do you spell your last name?" Or how about, "Uh, let me pull your file and see what the other five lawyers did on your case recently." Or how about, "I'm with another client now, and I'll call you back," and you don't get a return call for days. To me, that's not professional service. It's bad enough that you were injured through someone else's wrongdoing, but you shouldn't have to suffer the indignity of having your law firm figure out who you are when you call.☺

Attorney Oginski has been in practice for almost 17 years as a trial lawyer in New York. In 2002, Attorney Oginski decided he could best serve his clients by opening his own office for the practice of law in cases dealing with injured victims of medical malpractice and accident cases. Having his own law firm, he is able to provide the utmost in personalized, individualized attention to each and every client. In our office, a client is not a file number. Client's are always treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. Gerry Oginski can be reached at http://www.oginski-law.com or lawmed1@optonline.net or 516-487-8207.

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Other Law Sites
Search The Internet For Other Law Sites

Law Books
Search For Law Books At FindaBook.com

Houston Bankruptcy and Family Law Practice Announces Affiliation with Houston Civil Litigation, Business Law and Immigration Law Firm
Houston bankruptcy attorney Michael Busby of Busby & Associates joins forces with Carlos Peniche & Michael Rojas of Peniche and Rojas to offer Texans comprehensive legal services - from divorce, personal injury and civil litigation to contract disputes, employment law and immigration services.

Tax Attorney Site Answering More Questions on New Tax Laws
TaxAttornyHelp.com, an online tax law attorney service provider, has answers to questions on new tax laws that affect filers in 2008.

Elizabeth A. Kreitzer, Certified Family Law Specialist, Joins Klinedinst Family Law Group
The California-based law firm of Klinedinst PC has added Elizabeth A. Kreitzer, Certified Family Law Specialist, to its expanding Family Law practice group. Ms. Kreitzer's addition, combined with the strength of the firm's existing litigation teams, will help ensure that every client receives sophisticated, professional and compassionate representation, Ms. Kreitzer is the recipient of the Michael C. Shea Chair in 2005, and adds a wealth of family law knowledge to the department. She is experienced in working with sophisticated clients handle complex family law issues, including divorce, paternity and custody disputes, prenuptial agreements, adoption proceedings, and other family law matters.

Divorce Lawyer Says Families Do Not Belong In The Court Of Law
Fresno divorce attorney Erin Rhames-Childs says that the court of law is no place to divorce. The courts are overworked and understaffed - leading to poor legal decisions that are not in the best interests of those involved. Collaborative divorce is a way for couples to divorce while maintaining their dignity, making decisions that truly are in the best interests of their children and preserving their finances. Collaborative divorce is quicker, cheaper, and better for maintaining functional relationships for after the divorce is over.

Lemon Law Attorney, Dana Lynn Tarquini, Featured at Lemon Law Administrators Conference
Ms. Tarquini, one of the country's most prominent lemon law attorneys, participated in panel discussion at the 10th anniversary lemon law administrators conference in Atlantic City.

Understanding The Law...Criminal Law
The following Q&A's have been provided to help you better understand Criminal Law.

Copyright Infringement Cases Can Teach Us To Obey Copyright Laws
Copyright infringement cases can be both costly and time consuming. Considering copyright infringement is something that isn?t as easily defined as theft or speeding, there are numerous copyright infringement cases changing the way copyright law is viewed in the U.S. By reviewing a few of these copyright infringement cases, you can get a better idea of what is, and what is not, acceptable use of copyrighted works.

CalBizCentral Announces Booklets to Help Businesses Navigate State, Federal Employment Laws, Reduce Legal Risk
CalChamber's CalBizCentral 'What Every Manager Needs to Know About' series provides training managers need to comply with confusing laws.

Pending Federal Law Threatens All Copyright Owners says the Hodgson Law Group
The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008 (S. 2913) "Orphan Works Act of 2008" (H.R. 5889) allows anyone to use a copyrighted work without first obtaining permission. The user can later claim that a diligent search was conducted but the owner could not be found in any later action for infringement. This new legislation will apply to all copyright owners whether or not the work was previously registered with the Copyright Office. The legislation threatens the rights of artists, photographers, composers, film makers, publishers, and visual artists says the Hodgson Law Group. The Copyright Office not only endorses this legislation, but also advocates further changes that go beyond the proposed statute in reducing copyright protection. T...

Los Angeles Divorce Attorneys, The Family Law Company, Opens a New Office in Beverly Hills
Los Angeles family law attorney and founder of The Family Law Company Pamela Wright opens a new office in Beverly Hills. The Family Law Company offers high-quality legal services at affordable rates for divorce, paternity, child custody and child support actions because justice doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Fresno Family Law Attorney Says Collaborative Law Can Provide Smoother and More Affordable Divorce
Fresno family law attorney Erin Rhames-Childs says collaborative law can help people can reduce the conflict and cost of divorce litigation.

Tax Attorney Web Site Warns of Upcoming Tax Laws in 2008
TaxAttorneyHelp.com, an online network of tax attorneys, is preparing to assist taxpayers with new laws in the coming year.

Monroe, N.C. Family Law Attorneys Merge Practices to Form Stepp Lehnhardt Law Group
Donna Stepp and Dana Lehnhardt combine local practices and operations, creating 4-attorney general practice law firm with emphasis on family law

Tax Attorney Roni Deutch Analyzes Proposed Tax Laws in New Featured Blog
After nearly seven months of blogging, tax attorney Roni Deutch has posted a new featured blog analyzing the causes and possible outcomes of a new proposal that is being backed by the Internal Revenue Service. The proposal is part of President Bush's 2008 budget, and attempts to lower the gap in what taxpayers pay and what they should pay in taxes, by requiring many Internet companies to collect personal data from their users.