For some folks in Tidewater, Virginia (VA) it is a matter of pride that they are from Portsmouth, Virginia (VA) v. Newport News, Virginia (VA), v. Smithfield, Virginia (VA). When it comes to car wreck cases though, it makes no difference whether your injury lawyer works in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, or Suffolk, Virginia (VA). The key is to get the best auto accident attorney available.
In a typical bodily injury insurance claim related to a motor vehicle accident, the client will only sit down face to face with his attorney on two occasions. The day that you sit down to sign the contract hiring the attorney is the first date that you will want to be seated side by side with the lawyer. The other day will be when the lawyer is handing you a check for the settlement proceeds, closing the case. Because our law firm, like most who handle lots of automobile accident cases, will come to you whether you are bed ridden at home or an inpatient in a hospital to sign you up for a serious injury matter, it may be that you only are in the lawyer’s office on one occasion in an average case. Most cases are resolved with out the necessity of filing suit after the organization of the medical records and negotiations which take place by phone. The ease of legal communication by email, fax, and overnight delivery also minimized the need for an injured client to be in his lawyer’s office in person. Even if a lawsuit ends up being required because the insurance adjuster is not being fair about the automobile claim, there is likely to be only one other in person visit in an office, for a deposition before the trial.
So it is not necessary that your lawyer be the closest law office to your home for your typical car, truck, or motorcycle accident case. It is far more important that the lawyer be someone who is smart, competent, and diligent. If you live in Chesapeake and your lawyers office is in Newport News, Virginia (VA) it really doesn’t make any difference. It’s not like a chiropractor, a family doctor, or a physical therapist who you are going to regularly go see so that convenience matters. It is more like going to a specialist such as an orthopedic surgeon. Hopefully, you’re not going to see that medical specialist too many times. It’s much more important that you have a surgeon that is experienced in doing the procedure in question and who also has a good trust worthy manner. The difference between driving 15 minutes compared to 30 minutes to go to the office of the surgeon is secondary to finding the best surgeon that you can get. The same is true in finding the right injury trial lawyer for your car crash case. It’s far more important that you have an experienced injury attorney who is smart and ethical, than not having to drive so far on the one or two times that you may have to go to the person’s office.
I happen to live in Norfolk, Virginia (VA) and practice personal injury law in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). I hope that my potential clients are wise enough to realize that if I am the right person for their accident case that is doesn’t matter if they are in Hampton, Poquoson, Isle of Wight, or Currituck County, North Carolina (NC). The quality of the legal representation is what matters not the name of the particular city or county where the lawyer happens to have his address.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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