Before you seek to hire an attorney to represent you in your personal injury case, there are some facts that you should be aware of. Since most people who are seeking an attorney are doing so for their first time and are not familiar with lawyers or the legal system, there are some things you should be aware of.
When you hire an attorney to represent you in a personal injury case, whether your injury was suffered on a construction site, in a car accident, a trip or fall or any other fact pattern imaginable, you should be aware that all New York personal injury attorneys charge basically the same fee. The fee is called a “contingency fee” which means that the attorney is to be paid only if you win your case.
Also, usually the personal injury attorney, if the attorney agrees to accept your case, will also agree to advance all of the necessary expenses entailed in bringing your case to a successful conclusion so that you do not have pay anything and it costs you nothing to start and proceed with your personal injury case. Remember that the attorney will receive a fee only if your case is brought to a successful conclusion.
Searching for an attorney on the internet creates a unique challenge. How can you know that this is the right law firm and the right attorney for you and your case?
There is a famous New Yorker cartoon that shows a dog typing on a keyboard while standing in front of a computer screen and telling another dog that is watching him type, “On the internet nobody knows you’re a dog.”
What this cartoon means is, how do you know what you are getting or whom you are hiring to represent you just by looking on the internet and at a website?
If you are looking to hire an attorney for a personal injury lawsuit by doing an internet search, you must be prepared to learn the following about the attorney and law firm that you are considering calling and contacting.
Your first step should be to look at the firm’s former client reviews and testimonials.
- How many good reviews does this firm have?
- What do their past clients have to say about the firm, the attorneys and the support staff?
- For how many years has the firm received reviews?
- And finally: Do the reviews look real? Do you think that the reviews were written by real clients?
- If after reading the past client reviews you are considering hiring this law firm to represent you in your case then the next step is to look at the firm’s website. If you are looking at the law firm’s web site, do they provide you with the following information?
- How long has the firm been in practice?
- How many attorneys work in the firm?
- Will you be meeting with a senior partner to discuss your case?
- If you hire this law firm, who will you be able to keep in contact with while your case is proceeding?
- If the reason you are seeking an attorney is because you suffered a serious physical injury, has the attorney or firm successfully handled such types of serious cases in the past?
- What are the past results this firm has obtained in similar cases, by both verdicts and settlements?
- Does the firm write and handle its own appeals if an appeal is necessary?
- Has the firm been acknowledged as a leader in the legal field by its contemporaries and received any awards or exclusive memberships?
At the personal injury firm of Jaroslawicz & Jaros you will find the following information to the questions listed above:
How Many Good Reviews Does This Firm Have?
You can find over 70 of our client positive reviews posted on Google, AVVO and on our web- site.
What Do Past Clients Say About The Firm, The Attorneys And The Support Staff?
If you read the various reviews you will see many of the individual attorneys and support staff being thanked and complimented by prior clients of Jaroslawicz & Jaros. You will see that both senior partners, David Jaroslawicz and Abraham Jaros, receive many positive comments for their representation and conduct.
For How Many Years Has The Firm Received Reviews?
At Jaroslawicz & Jaros we have received positive reviews for over 40 years.
And Finally: Do The Reviews Look Real? Do You Think That The Reviews Were Written By Real Clients?
If you read the reviews posted on Google, AVVO or on the Jaroslawicz & Jaros website, you
will see that these are real clients that had real cases with Jaroslawicz & Jaros and that the clients were very satisfied with the results. The reviews on our website identify our clients only by their initials and not by their full names to preserve their privacy. However, we have scanned the cards, letters and emails with the dates so that you can see when they were written.
How Long Has The Firm Been In Practice?
The firm of Jaroslawicz & Jaros was founded by two brothers, David Jaroslawicz and Abraham Jaros, in 1980, after they had been in private practice for nine and eight years respectively.
How Many Attorneys Work In The Firm?
At this time the firm has twelve (12) experienced associate attorneys assisting and working together with the two senior partners. Photos and resumes of all of the attorneys are on the website. While other firms use “of counsel attorneys” to handle their cases, at Jaroslawicz & Jaros we handle all of our own cases with our own attorneys. Of Counsel attorneys are outside attorneys hired by a law firm when they are short staffed and unable to handle your case with the staff that they have.
Will You Be Meeting With A Senior Partner To Discuss Your Case?
At your initial meeting you will almost always be meeting with either, David Jaroslawicz and Abraham Jaros, the two senior partners of the firm.
If You Hire This Law Firm Who Will You Be Able To Keep In Contact With While Your Case Is Proceeding?
If you agree to hire the firm of Jaroslawicz & Jaros and the firm agrees to accept your case and represent you, after your initial meeting you will always be able to contact either David Jaroslawicz or Abraham Jaros, the two senior partners of the firm, to discuss your case. In addition to David Jaroslawicz and Abraham Jaros, you will also have another associate who will be working with them on your case that you will be in contact with as well.
If The Reason You Are Seeking An Attorney Is Because You Suffered A Serious Physical Injury Has The Attorney Or Firm Successfully Handled Such Types Of Serious Cases In The Past?
You can look at our past accomplishments on our website that go back to 1980, the year of our founding. You will see that we have successfully handled almost every type of personal jury case and have been successful in obtaining fair settlements and verdicts for our clients, and also writing and arguing appeals when necessary.
What Are The Past Results This Firm Has Obtained In Similar Cases, By Both Verdicts And Settlements?
The firm of Jaroslawicz & Jaros is proud to have recovered over one Billion dollars for its clients since starting the firm in 1980 and we have posted some of our actual case settlements and verdicts on our website. We are proud to have had over 100 settlements and verdicts in excess of $1,000,000 for our clients in various cases involving, car accidents, construction site accidents, slips and falls, medical malpractice and various other personal injury cases including the largest verdict in New York of $44,000,000 for an injured construction worker.
Does The Firm Write And Handle Its Own Appeals If An Appeal Is Necessary?
The attorneys at Jaroslawicz & Jaros have been writing and arguing appeals for over 40 years and have been involved in literally hundreds of cases on appeals at all levels – including the New York Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, and even the United States Supreme Court, the highest court of the United States.
We have not only been involved in having the existing law properly interpreted to benefit our clients, but have also been involved in cases that have actually been instrumental in changing the law. Jaroslawicz & Jaros has changed the law involving injured construction workers who are hurt on the job and who receive the special protection of New York’s Labor Law, various motor vehicle claims, product liability, medical malpractice, life and disability insurance and even laws affecting the recovery for property losses.
Has The Firm Been Acknowledged As A Leader In The Legal Field By Its Contemporaries And Received Any Awards Or Exclusive Memberships?
- Jaroslawicz & Jaros is rated a 10, the highest score, on AVVO.
- Three Jaroslawicz & Jaros attorneys have been selected as Super Lawyers.
- Jaroslawicz & Jaros has been recognized as leader in the field of personal injury litigation by:
- The American Trial Lawyers Association has rated David Jaroslawicz as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers.
- The National Trial Lawyers has rated both David Jaroslawicz and Abraham Jaros as being in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers.
Many other awards and honors are included on our website.
Now that you have done your research and have checked the credentials and history of the law firm and its attorneys, be aware that you can meet with more than one firm before you decide which firm to hire for your case. Since the first meeting with a personal injury firm is always free and costs you nothing, you should consider meeting with more than one firm before you decide which firm to hire.
By setting up a meeting you will get to see:
- What the office looks like?
- With whom you meet?
- Whether all your questions are answered to your satisfaction?
- How are you treated by the attorney and the support staff?
Remember, your case may take a couple of years from when it is started until its conclusion, so you should feel entirely comfortable with the attorneys and firm that you decide to hire.
If you or a loved one are in need of legal assistance, and looking to hire a personal injury attorney, call Jaroslawicz & Jaros at , or toll free in New York 800-269-2780, or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call to ensure that you do not waive your right to compensation. Or you can email us at [email protected].
