Damage to the child’s developing brain during pregnancy can cause cerebral palsy. It usually happens due to birth injuries before or during the birth of a child. Some of its symptoms are abnormal posture, abnormal muscle tone, and developmental delays in a child’s body.
If a child suffers from a birth injury due to negligence of medical staff and that causes cerebral palsy, then parents can file a case against them. It allows families to get financial compensation to cover the expenses for the child’s medical treatment.
You need to hire a cerebral palsy attorney with relevant experience and expertise to build a case. You have to do thorough research and find a competent lawyer who can help you get results in your favor.
The seasoned attorneys know different legal aspects usually involved in cerebral palsy cases. They can give you correct guidance at each phase of the case, making it easier to make the right decisions. It makes a huge impact on the case’s outcome, so you need to keep in mind different factors while hiring an attorney.
Let’s find out some of the top attributes you need to look for while hiring a cerebral palsy attorney.
- Experience
The most important factor you must look for in a cerebral palsy attorney is experience. You should know for how long the lawyer has been handling cerebral palsy cases. In addition, take a good look at the attorney’s success rate in similar cases. Ensure that your attorney has the required qualifications to handle your case.
It would be better if you could consult the attorney’s colleagues as it will help you know about their overall reputation. Rather than getting impressed by the fancy advertising of the attorney, you have to research on your own to find out if they are worth hiring.
- Legal Fees
Another crucial factor that you need to consider is the attorney’s legal fees. Some attorneys have policies of taking a fee only if they succeed in making a recovery for their clients. They then take a particular percentage from the recovery as a fee. It can be one of the best things for you as a client, so you need to look for an attorney with this type of offer.
During your first meeting with the lawyer, you need to ask what is their legal fee structure. Some attorneys charge on an hourly basis so that you may consider them as per your needs. It is imperative to mention that the attorney’s fee can also go up if they are senior and have ample experience fighting compensation cases.
It would be better to ask your lawyer to put their legal fees in writing. If they refuse to do it, it is better to walk away. If your lawyer is willing to work on an hourly basis, you should ask how many hours will be involved. It will give you an idea of how often you will be charged.
- Communication
Communication is one of the integral elements when you are dealing with someone for any purpose. It can be frustrating if you call or text someone and do not get a reply in return. It can make you wonder if the other person is serious about work or not. Also, it shows a person’s professionalism, so while choosing an attorney, you should check how they communicate. It will tell you a lot about their work ethic and professionalism.
Suppose the lawyer does not stay in touch with you or respond to your queries. In that case, you should consider hiring another lawyer for your lawsuit because it can create complications in the legal proceedings that can turn the outcome of the case against you.
You should understand that communication is a crucial part of your legal engagement. It plays a key role in achieving successful outcomes when seeking legal advice. If you are not getting a response from your attorney for the questions you have asked, then do not expect to get a favorable result.
To test how good the attorney’s communication skills are, you should spend a few days staying in touch with them. It will give you a good idea to make the final decision accordingly.
- Level of Comfort with Attorney
Before filing the cerebral palsy case successfully, you must ensure that you are comfortable with the attorney. It is one of those things that can make or break your case.
Some attorneys try to intimidate their clients or do not behave appropriately with them. For instance, they can say that things are not going well in the case, or there is a lot at stake, or try to raise the fee charges agreed upon by the client and the lawyer.
It is not a professional approach, and especially if you are paying someone, you should not tolerate this type of behavior.
An experienced and competent lawyer will ease your mind by ensuring that everything will work out smoothly. They will not misguide you to charge more to take advantage of your situation.
Conclusion
Finding a good cerebral palsy attorney can be challenging. You need to consider the factors mentioned above to find a competent and professional attorney who can efficiently fulfill your needs. It may require you to do thorough research and put in a lot of effort, but it will play a key role in getting the final verdict in your favor.