“The best Virginia accident lawyers actually go to court and try cases for injured clients,” notes Herndon lawyer Doug Landau, shown here in the courtroom after winning a case in Richmond for a disabled nurse with a lumbar spine and leg injury
Hiring a personal injury lawyer can be a crap shoot. Ads for injury lawyers are all over the TV and internet, but people who choose an injury attorney without carefully researching the lawyer’s credentials and experience may find themselves in a pickle down the road.
Consider the case of a person who hires an attorney on a contingency basis, meaning that the lawyer will be paid only if the case is won or settled. Two months before the case is scheduled to go to trial, the lawyer tells the client he is confused and is not certain he is able to take the case to trial.
Now the client is not only injured, but also a little poorer. This is because the client will still be responsible for paying the attorney for his time and efforts, as well as reimbursing him for all of the money he may have advanced for the case (e.g., private investigator fees, court report, deposition transcripts, photographs, medical records/reports, expert witnesses, trial exhibits, etc.).
There is something called “Quantum
Meruit” which is Latin for “what one has earned”. When a contract or agreement between parties is not completed, a determination as to the fair value of the time and effort expended will be made. Similar to a doctor who provides treatment for months and then parts ways with the patient before a medical problem has fully resolved, the lawyer in this example must be compensated for time and effort spent, even though the relationship stopped short of its conclusion.
The best way to avoid a situation like this is to do your due diligence when selecting an injury attorney. Virginia attorney Doug Landau of the firm Abrams Landau, Ltd. suggests asking the following questions:
- Is the attorney licensed in Virginia?
- Does he or she actually try cases on a regular basis? Or does he or she push to settle cheap because of a fear of going to court?
- Does he or she have a real office in Virginia? With real live staff (as opposed to “virtual”)?
- Is he or she an active, contributing member of professional associations like Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, DC Trial Lawyers Association, or American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America)?
“The best way to select a qualified injury lawyer for your case is to see your present (or future) lawyer in action, actually trying an injury or disability case in court,” says Doug. “Pick a professional not a pretender.”
If you or someone you know has been injured and there are questions as to what laws apply,
email or call
Abrams Landau, Ltd. at once (703-796-9555). We happily publish our trial calendar and invite clients and potential clients to come see Doug Landau in action!
