How Do I Select a Qualified Personal Injury Attorney to Represent Me?

Choosing the personal injury lawyer who will represent you in your claim is the most critical step toward achieving the compensation you deserve. Choosing the wrong attorney can lead to a catastrophic loss of time and energy, and keep you from getting just compensation. There are thousands of personal injury lawyers in Pennsylvania, and they are all clamoring for your case.  To help you sort through the noise, we have put together this list of the five most important things to consider when choosing a personal injury lawyer.

1. Make Sure The Attorney Specializes in Personal Injury

While many lawyers in Pennsylvania will accept your personal injury case, you will want to make sure the attorney you select specializes in personal injury.  Personal injury law involves a wide range of specialized law and intricate rules.  You will often find lawyers who specialize in other kinds of law, such as criminal law, family law or trusts and estates, that take personal injury cases on the side.  These lawyers are not likely to know all of the ins and outs of a personal injury case, especially in cases where a more nuanced understanding of the law is necessary.

At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, Esq., we specialize in personal injury law. Whether your case involves a trucking accident, a birth injury, or medical malpractice, we have decades of experience representing clients who have suffered catastrophic personal injuries throughout the Commonwealth.  

There are many different kinds of personal injury claims.  Each kind of claim comes with its own body of law and requires a specialized strategic approach.  We work with an elite team of talented specialists and lawyers with experience in all manner of catastrophic personal injury claims.

2. Make Sure the Attorney Has a Great Deal of Experience

You do not want your attorney to be using your case as a means of continuing his or her education.  You want an attorney who knows the law that applies to your case and knows how to use it to your advantage.  An experienced attorney will be able to fully investigate your claim, knowing what information to look for, where to find it, and how it is relevant to your case.  

Even when your attorney knows the law, personal injury cases require a thorough knowledge of the practical aspects of handling your case.  Your attorney will need to make important strategic decisions, such as:

-Deciding how to present your claim to an insurance company;

-Determining the value of your case;

-Deciding when to continue negotiations and when to file suit;

-Choosing the best venue in which to file suit; and

-Knowing when the other side is playing games and how to force them to play by the rules.

These are all things that aren’t taught in law school.  Knowing how to properly handle a personal injury case comes from experience. At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, our team of dedicated personal injury lawyers has decades of experience handling all manner of catastrophic personal injury claims throughout the Commonwealth.    

3. Make Sure the Attorney has a Proven Track Record of Getting Good Results

In the end, the point of hiring an attorney is to get a better result than you could obtain on your own. You want to make sure the attorney has a proven track record of getting results for his or her clients both in and out of court.

At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, we have achieved numerous significant verdicts and settlements over the years. We fight hard for the rights of our clients and work to get the compensation they deserve.  

4. Make Sure the Attorney Has a Stellar Reputation with Judges and Other Lawyers

Your attorney’s reputation is key to achieving a just result in your case.  It often helps to resolve your case more quickly and fairly when the judges and defense lawyers know you are represented by an attorney who is known for zealous, yet ethical and respectable representation.

Alvin F. de Levie has consistently been voted by the Judiciary and his peers in the Bar to receive Martindale Hubbel’s “AV Preeminent” 5.0 out of 5.0 rating. The Martindale Hubbel ratings are based on confidential interviews of peers in the legal industry, including members of the Judiciary and the Bar.  Attorney de Levie was evaluated by his peers for his legal ability in the areas of analytical capabilities, legal knowledge, judgment, communication ability and legal experience, and general ethical standards such as adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, including reliability and diligence.

An AV Preeminent rating is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. The AV Preeminent rating is the pinnacle of professional excellence earned through a strenuous peer review rating process that is managed and monitored by the world’s most trusted legal resource.

5. Make Sure the Attorney Has the Resources to Handle Your Case

Finally, it makes no difference how good your attorney is if he or she does not have the resources to handle your case. Personal injury litigation is notoriously expensive and time- consuming. Cases involving catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and other complex situations often involve an extraordinary amount of time and investigation.  Your attorney will often need to obtain and review thousands of pages of documents and other materials. Experts are often required to help prove your damages or that the other party was negligent. Complex cases can cost tens of thousands of dollars to pursue and often require the attorney to marshal a great deal of assistance. Even the most basic trials can cost thousands of dollars. A lack of resources may force an attorney to accept less for your claim than you deserve.

At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, Esq., we have decades of experience handling cases for those who have suffered catastrophic injuries throughout the Commonwealth, including birth injuries like Erb’s palsy. We have handled cases from Philadelphia and the surrounding counties to Allegheny County, including Blair County, Centre County, Lycoming County, Montour County, Mifflin County, Cambria County, Cumberland County and Dauphin County.

If you have suffered an injury as a result of medical malpractice, please call our firm – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – at 844-777-2529 (Toll -Free) for a consultation.  One of our team members will be in immediate contact with you. We maintain offices throughout Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, State College, Bellefonte and Lock Haven, and we are willing to meet any clients throughout the Commonwealth.