How to Choose the Best Car Accident Lawyer

In the unfortunate event of a car accident, we might deal not only with the loss of a vehicle but physical injury and emotional stress as well. In times like this, it can be difficult to make clear-headed decisions with so much weighing on your mind, so here are some helpful tips for choosing the best accident lawyer.

Setting the scene

You’ve been combing the block for several minutes trying to score street parking near Massey Hall, and in the split second it takes to look down a side street, your front bumper collides with a stopped car in front of you. Unfortunately, the person behind you was texting and did not stop in time either, and you become involved in a three-car pile-up. After checking to see if everyone is okay and assessing the damage, you start wondering who will be found liable in this case, so you search for a car accident lawyer in Toronto. What happens next can determine whether or not you end up with satisfactory representation and the best possible resolution to your case.

What to look for

Companies that show up at the top of a Google search may or may not also be the highest-rated in customer satisfaction, but they are certainly savvy with Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO”. In order to show up near the top, a company has to either have a monumental amount of regular web traffic or pay for ads or engage the services of online marketing for law firms. While SEO rules are meant to reward the most popular sites by putting them near the top, there are plenty of targeted ways that marketing firms can help boost SEO, so keep this in mind while scanning through the options.

One of the most important things to pay attention to is customer reviews. It’s obvious you want to find a company with the highest rating, but the most reliable high rating score is one with a good deal of reviews behind it. A five-star rating from only two customers is suspicious, but when 132 customers have provided a top score, this is more likely a quality firm to investigate further. Look for reviews on places like Birdeye, Google, and Facebook, as well as other places like Yelp. Give more weight to companies that have had a significant number of reviews rather than few or none.

Status check

Once you’ve found a promising lawyer, the next thing to check is that their license is current and in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. Make sure nothing shows up against the record such as Current Practice Restrictions or Discipline History. If the lawyer’s record is clear, the next step is to call and set up a consultation. It’s best to do this as soon as possible while the details of the accident are still fresh in your mind, but some experts say that jotting down notes immediately after the accident will help you retain even more information that may become helpful to your case.

Customer service is king

One of the biggest hallmarks of excellent customer service is responsiveness. Your calls should be answered or returned in a reasonable amount of time, your questions should be answered, and you should have a clear understanding of the process and next steps at each point in your case. Choosing the right lawyer to handle your car accident case will not only help ensure a positive outcome to your situation, but will also give you peace of mind that you and your legal matters are in professional, competent, capable hands.