OUCH! You’ve just had an accident!! Did someone else cause you the accident because of something they did (they hit you with their car), or something they failed to do (a restaurant manager didn’t take care to dry the bathroom floors, and you slipped and fell)? If you got hurt because of someone else, the law may award you some compensation for your suffering or lost wages.

The key thing to remember is that if you have been involved in an accident, it is your right to claim compensation. But claiming compensation can be complicated, so you owe it to yourself to get in touch with a personal injury attorney.

A personal injury attorney is indispensable in personal injury cases. She will guide you on the formalities required to file your claim. Your personal injury attorney will also appear in court as your representative. She will cross examine witnesses and plead your case before the judge. But not just any personal injury attorney will do; to give yourself the best chance of winning your case, that you win your claim, it is important that you hire a highly competent personal injury attorney.

Here are the four top tips to help you hire the right personal injury attorney:

Tip 1: Ask people you know. The best way to find out about a good personal injury attorney is by asking your colleagues, friends and relatives. Make a list of all the personal injury attorneys referred to you. Then, sort them in order of the strength of the recommendation.

Tip 2: Use a lawyer referral service. Another way to find a personal injury attorney is by talking to a lawyer referral service that lists personal injury attorneys. This method is especially useful if you are too busy, or incapacitated by your injury, to do your own research. You may have to pay a small fee for the service, but it will save your time and effort.

Tip 3: Use the Yellow Pages. You will find many personal injury attorneys listed in the Yellow Pages of your telephone directory. However, you will still have to do some additional research, as you can’t rely completely on a Yellow Page listing to be assured of competence.

Tip 4: Interview potential candidates. Once you have zeroed in on a few potential candidates for your personal injury attorney, take the time to interview all the candidates before you finally select one. The best way is to do this in person, but if you cannot visit with them in person, a phone interview will suffice.