Medical malpractice suits are on the decline in the US. But that doesn’t make them any less serious when they happen to you or someone you love. And when they do happen, you need to speak to a malpractice attorney ASAP.

The number of medical malpractice claims in the United States has declined by 56% between 1992 and 2014. But the average payout for successful claims jumped about 23 percent from $287,000 to $353,000.

If you’ve been harmed in any way by a surgeon or doctor, here is how to find an attorney who can help you.

Start Online

We know you would have done this anyway. 76% of people start their search for a new lawyer online. And another 83% will read the online reviews.

That’s the clear way to start. But what do you need to look for? Everyone may be saying the exact same thing, so who can you really trust?

Trust the people who have worked with them in the past, so pay special attention to the online reviews. A few bad reviews are fine. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to order a pizza or find a malpractice attorney, there’s always “haters.”

But if there are recurring themes in the comments like a lack of personal service, or being hit with surprise fees, that’s a red flag.

Get a Consultation

A good malpractice attorney should offer you a free consultation before you proceed, so you can interview them, and they can get to know the particulars of your case.

It’s also a good chance to get upfront answers about their:

Fees: How does their billing work? How much flexibility is there?

Ideally, you want to work with a medical malpractice attorney on a contingent fee basis. This means the expenses like the investigation, case development, litigation, expert witnesses and court costs are deducted from the ultimate recovery.

This also means if they’re not successful, they absorb all costs and charge no fee.

Staff: Will they be working on your case personally? Why or why not? Also, do they have any experts or investigators they can bring in to help your case? If you have a question or concern on an evening or weekend, who should you call?

Nobody wants to feel like they’ve been abandoned or dumped by their malpractice attorney. So it’s good to know who you’re going to be working with at every phase of the process.

Their Plan: If they’ve won a number of these cases before, they should be able to tell you exactly how they plan on fighting your case.

Hearing a rock-solid strategy in the early goings can really put your mind at ease, and let you know that this is the person you want representing you.

Do You Need a Malpractice Attorney?

We have a proven history of fighting and winning medical malpractice cases. And we can help you!

You can start right now by clicking here to contact us.