Offshore Accidents: 10 Tips for Hiring an Offshore Accident Attorney In Houston

Every year, there is enough demand for the services of personal injury attorneys to generate a market worth more than $40 billion! The personal injury lawyer and attorney market employ more than 146,000 people around the United States.

One of the reasons that there is so much demand for attorneys is the prevalence of offshore accidents. Some lawyers specialize in offshore accidents and get better and better at achieving acceptable outcomes for clients who have suffered an offshore accident. Of course, there will be many offshore accident attorneys to choose from.

If you are not careful, you will likely end up with an average or below-average offshore accident attorney. However, if you follow the proper steps, you can maximize the chance that you end up with the right offshore accident attorney.

Read on to learn the essential tips for hiring an offshore accident attorney!

1. Know What You Need in an Offshore Accident Lawyer

Many people waste a lot of time looking for a lawyer before they know what they need. Before you start your search process, sit down and think through what you expect from your lawyer.

If certain qualities would disqualify them, make sure you are clear about what those are. If you need certain things in your lawyer, note them down as well. It can also help to put together a budget at this point.

Many people mistake picking a lawyer’s budget based on what they hope they will pay. However, this strategy has a severe downside.

If you find a great lawyer who costs a little bit more than this amount, you will have to consider whether it is worth paying a little more than you hoped for a quality attorney. Considering many different attorneys, you can agonize over whether or not to adjust your ideal number.

However, you can avoid this by setting a budget number representing the maximum amount you are willing to pay. That way, you can immediately decide whether or not a lawyer is worth further investigation. You can shift your focus to other lawyers as soon as you know that they are outside your actual maximum budget.

That can save you a lot of mental effort. However, it can also protect you during budget negotiations.

At some point, you may face sales pressure from a firm trying to land you as a client. You will be much more resistant to sales pressure if you have a precise budget number.

1. Consider Many Offshore Accident Lawyers

Once you know what your offshore accident attorney needs, you can start considering your options. It is best to consider many options for an offshore accident lawyer.

If you consider only one or two, there is a low chance that the right lawyer for you will be among those two options. Every additional candidate you consider adds to the probability that you will evaluate and ultimately choose the right lawyer for your situation.

Many people do not want to generate a long list of lawyer candidates because they think it will take a long time. If this is a concern, you should remember that you can always find many candidates simply by performing a few Google searches.

However, this is not the best strategy for generating a list of offshore accident attorney candidates.

1. Get Recommendations for Offshore Accident Attorneys

When picking an offshore accident attorney, it is better to receive recommendations from people you trust.

For one thing, the people you know will be able to learn more about your situation. Google doesn’t know exactly what you are looking for in a lawyer. When you ask people you know for recommendations, make sure to have prepared a short list of details to share with them about your situation.

Pick these details with care to give people a good sense of what kind of attorney you are looking for. This can ensure that people do not recommend the wrong offshore accident attorney for you.

When you ask for recommendations, consider asking if there are any lawyers that people recommend you do not hire. If you can remove a candidate from your list, you can sort through your list with as much speed as possible.

Another reason some people are reluctant to generate a long list of lawyer candidates is that they fear it will take too long to sort between them. However, you can follow some efficient principles to help choose the right lawyer among your candidates.

1. Find an Offshore Accident Attorney Who Understands Maritime Law and the Jones Act

Regarding offshore accidents, you need to find a lawyer who understands the appropriate laws. In this case, that means maritime law in general and the Jones Act in particular.

Some lawyers have a lot of experience with standard workers’ compensation claims. However, the Jones Act states that offshore accidents should be considered differently from traditional claims. Among other things, you will need to prove that your employer was somewhat responsible for your injuries.

1. Find a Lawyer Who Can Work With You Regardless of Location

People who suffer offshore accidents often travel, so it is crucial to find a lawyer to handle that. Before you investigate a lawyer too much, ensure you find out if they can work with you even as you move wherever you need to go.

1. Find a Lawyer With the Right Kind of Experience

There are a lot of misunderstandings about law experience. A lot of people do not know that lawyers will often manage multiple aspects of law at the same time.

For example, a lawyer might work in family law and with offshore accident clients. You might find such a lawyer who talks about having many decades of experience. However, it is always possible that most of their knowledge comes from working in family law.

For that reason, ensure you understand how much experience a prospective attorney has with cases like yours. You want to find an attorney who has spent a lot of their career helping people who suffer offshore accidents.

If possible, you even want to find a lawyer who has handled many cases similar to your own. If they have handled cases from clients who have worked with your same company, that can be a plus. If they have worked with clients with a background similar to yours, that can also help.

The more experience they have in similar managing situations, the more likely their expertise will help you win your case.

1. Find a Lawyer With a Style That You Like

Some people are happy when they hire their lawyer but disappointed when they see them in action in the courtroom. Some lawyers favor an aggressive style while others do not.

Consider asking each lawyer you consider what style they use in the courtroom. It might be a good idea to ask them about this before you express your preferences. That way, you can know that they are not just telling you what you want to hear.

1. Avoid Lawyers That Are Too Busy

You may find the perfect lawyer. However, if they have a vast workload right now, they may not be able to give you a case the attention it deserves. Before you hire a lawyer, get a sense of how busy they are.

1. Understand Exactly What a Lawyer Will Cost You

People are not always clear about what it will cost them to hire a lawyer, and that is sometimes because there are many fees on the side that contribute to the total cost of hiring an attorney.

When you ask a lawyer what they charge, ask if there is anything else that might add to how much you would need to pay them. If they mention any other fees, ask again if there are any additional fees. You can continue asking until they assure you they have told you about everything that might increase your costs.

1. Find a Lawyer With Great Reviews

These days, you can find online ratings and reviews for offshore accident attorneys. Before you make a final decision, it is a good idea to read what past clients of a lawyer have said. The more satisfied they are, the more likely they will be happy.

Manage Offshore Accidents With the Right Attorney

When people suffer from offshore accidents, it is a stressful time. Almost nothing can affect the outcome of offshore accident cases as much as finding the right attorney. That is why it is worth doing your due diligence to find the right offshore accident attorney to help you.

To learn more about choosing the right attorney or speaking with experts in offshore accident law, reach out and get in touch with us!