Lower Mainland

The average person will be involved in at least 3 to 4 motor vehicle accidents in their lifetime. Many accidents cause debilitating bodily injury, wage loss, and emotional and mental turmoil. A few result in deaths of family members and loved ones. If you are the victim of a car crash or other accident caused by another driver, it’s critical that you find a great lawyer who will fight for your rights.

Not sure how to find the best lawyer for your claim? Below, we offer our top tips for hiring a great personal injury lawyer in the Lower Mainland.  

Do Your Homework

Not all lawyers are created equal. In fact, some may be merely the product of good marketing, rather than actually having top level knowledge and experience. This is why it’s important to be discerning and explore all possible avenues for finding a lawyer, including referrals from friends and acquaintances and independent research.

Many injured parties wish to get compensated quickly rather than endure months or years in court. Others wish to fight for the highest compensation possible. Decide what’s important to you and find and vet lawyers who align with your best case scenario.

Conduct Interviews

Once you narrow down your list of candidates, make sure to conduct a thorough and in-depth interview with each lawyer or attorney. While this step may seem trivial, it’s an important part of the process that can mean the difference between a quick, successful claim or years and years in court.

Lawyers in British Columbia are allowed to advertise to those injured in vehicular and other accidents even if they never handled any of these types of claims. Be wary, remain vigilant, and thoroughly vet a candidate’s training, knowledge and experience. The right fit for you is important.

Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the interview process. A well-seasoned lawyer should be able to confidently answer the following questions:

• Have you handled ICBC claims and other injury claims in the past? If so, how many?
• Have you gone to court for a full trial?
• Have you ever handled an appeal?
• Are you considered a leader in your field?
• How much more do you typically get for your clients compared to the insurance companies’ offers?

At Pacific Law Group, our lawyers handle a wide range of complex and significant personal injury claims. We have conducted countless trials and have secured numerous successes on appeals for other lawyers whose trials did not end well.  

As leaders in personal injury litigation and claims, we have the knowledge and experience to protect your rights and achieve a successful resolution of your claims.

Compare Retainer Agreements

Once you’ve interviewed your choice of candidates, it’s time to compare. Lawyers are not “one size fits all”, so it’s important to hire someone who not only understands the specifics of your case, but who can pursue the best possible strategy for winning maximum damages.

A good place to begin comparing candidates is a law firm’s contract of retainer. While the law dictates what lawyers are allowed to charge, many retainer agreements are peppered with clauses that are confusing and may ultimately prove undesirable to a legal consumer.

Here is just a short list of things to watch out for when reviewing a retainer agreement from a potential lawyer or attorney:

• Disbursements – Remember that law firms are permitted to charge expenses or disbursements incurred on behalf of a client. But, did you know that some law firms also bill those pre-settlement, or charge interest on those expenses and disbursement until damages are recovered? Interest can quickly add up and eat away at a victim’s awarded monies. At Pacific Law Group, our policy is to never charge our clients interest on those expenses or disbursements.
• Insurance – Many law firms will take out an insurance policy to protect the firm’s interests. Some law firms do this without giving the client a choice as to whether they wish to pay for insurance. At Pacific Law Group, if insurance seems appropriate, we discuss this upfront and you have a choice.
• Accurate Representation – Often, lawyers “hand off” cases to others in their firm. Effectively, this means that the lawyer you hired may not be the person who sees your case to the end. Make sure the lawyer you hire is the lawyer with whom you will be working until your case is resolved. Furthermore, make certain that the law firm you hire will be your actual lawyer or attorney. Some firms make a practice of referring you to other law firms. In some circumstances, a referral to another lawyer in a firm or to another law firm may be in your best interests.  At Pacific Law Group, we will advise you on the best course of action, but you will make this important strategic decision.