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I have been practicing law in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia (VA) for about two decades focusing on accidental injury and wrongful death cases. I have heard amazing stories about how million dollar automobile accident cases have gone to lawyers who really had no business handling such a case for all sorts of strange reasons. The suggestions for a person with an accident case in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) from me and my law partner, Richard N. Shapiro:

1. Do not pick your personal injury lawyer based on the last attorney you happen to have contact with such as the real estate lawyer who did your closing on your refinance or the lady lawyer you hired to do your traffic case in the Norfolk General District Court. These attorneys may be great at real estate or traffic but in today’s era of specialization that may not be the attorney that you want handling a serious injury file.

2. Do not pick your personal injury lawyer based upon that attorney who hangs out in the bar that you sometimes got to after work because he is a great guy. That lawyer in the bar may be everyone’s best friend, but your automobile injury case deserves an attorney whose main qualification is not just staying on the bar stool when drunk.

3. Do not pick your personal injury lawyer based on who paid the yellow pages $100,000.00 to be on the back of their book. That lawyer may generate a lot of calls from people in Virginia (VA) who have automobile accidents, but it does not mean that he is a good lawyer who will get the best result and give the best service on your injury case just because he shelled out that money to buy some cases.

4. Do not pick your personal injury lawyer because he happens to have the same last name as you do. Although I am sure you love your name, this is no way to decide who is going to represent your family in a big automobile accident case that may be one of the most important financial transactions of your life.

5. Do not pick your personal injury lawyer because they happen to be a family member even though they have never handled significant personal injury litigation. I am sure that your niece who just graduated from law school in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) or your cousin who is an insurance defense lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia (VA) are nice people. However, what you need is someone who regularly handles automobile accident cases with serious injuries from the plaintiff’s perspective, meaning that of the injured person. Further, you want someone who has done that for a long time with a proven track record of being good at it. You do not want to have a claim against your family member for messing up your injury case. Go to the right attorney right away.

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