It’s unfortunate that we need personal injury lawyers. Even more unfortunate, is the fact that research shows residents will only continue to need the services of Ottawa law firms over the coming years.
In 2010, the City of Ottawa published the Burden of Injury report, which indicates a steady climb in the number of Ottawans who suffered injuries between 2002 and 2008. In 2008, 61,695 people visited an emergency room in Ottawa for unintentional injuries, 4,000 of which required hospitalization. And the trend is on the rise.
What do you do when you and your family are dealing with the aftermath of an accident? You’re overwhelmed, trying to deal with the immediate physical pain, emotional distress and associated stress of an injury. You’ve probably suffered a loss of income and incurred some unplanned expenses. You need help and a good personal injury lawyer can provide it. There are so many Ottawa law firms that provide this service so how do you choose the right one?
A major consideration is the cost. Injured victims deserve access to appropriate legal representation regardless of their financial situation. And they certainly don’t need the additional financial stress when they already have so much to deal with. So, the best way to go is to find a firm whose lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
This means you don’t have to pay any fees or expenses up front. You only pay if they win your case, using an agreed upon percentage of the settlement. If you don’t recover anything, your personal injury lawyer doesn’t get paid. It’s as simple as that. With this arrangement, you can trust that your personal injury lawyer is dedicated to fighting for your rights and obtaining maximum monetary compensation for you and your family.
When choosing the Ottawa law firm to represent you, look at their experience, case management style and reputation. Actually going to court is a whole new ballgame so it’s good to look for a firm that focuses on alternative resolution processes such as negotiation, facilitation and mediation. Then, consider how many cases they settle successfully compared to the number of cases that end up in court. If they have a settlement rate of more than 95% it’s a great indicator that the Ottawa law firm you’re looking at is the right one for you.
