Posts Tagged ‘Legal’

Finding Auto Accident Attorneys in Los Angeles

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Selecting a Los Angeles personal injury attorney confronts you with the same baffling, overwhelming embarrassment of riches. You will have no trouble finding a Los Angeles personal injury attorney. A trained and well seasoned LA car accident attorney will know the right questions to ask as well as what type of evidence that may be required to prove your innocence and win the case for you.

Car collisions often carry legal consequences in proportion to the severity of the accident. It is important to file for claims within two years of the injury date. This time limitation includes claims for personal injury caused by defective products. They are lawsuits that are filed when a person is harmed in an accident or injured by another person and the injured individual is not to blame. An attorney, who deals with personal injury, can be contacted in cases, where there has been serious injury, or where injuries are likely to be permanent, or death has resulted from the accident.

If residents of Los Angeles County are involved in a car accident in Los Angeles, they usually file a personal injury lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.

It is in the interest of car accident victims to hire personal injury attorneys, as they are experienced with cases to decide, if the case it is worth pursuing legal action. Most personal injury lawyers, work on a contingency fee basis. An attorney can work through the paperwork necessary to resolve claims. They work with a team of investigators who will skillfully investigate, the technical aspects of the case. Attorneys can be more objective by not making rash decisions in handling the claim. An experienced attorney will know if the dispute can be resolved through mediation. The attorney can deal most effectively and expediently with opposing counsel. They are also accustomed to working with insurance companies, and will not be pressured, to settle for an unsatisfactory amount. Car accident attorneys are specialists in this field of legal practice. It is important to hire the services of a reputed professional in order to ensure a favorable verdict. This is important as such claims go a long way in compensating financial losses and expenses incurred by the injured.

The lawyers at the Los Angeles auto accident firm of Estey & Bomberger, LLP have over 40 years of combined experience handling motor vehicle accident claims, litigation and settlements. The experienced injury lawyers have successfully represented clients who have suffered back injuries, head trauma and brain injuries, as well as spinal cord, back and neck injuries caused by another car driver’s negligence. Estey & Bomberger, LLP has been awarded a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review AV Rating. This rating is only given to firms with the highest professional ethical standards and exceptional experience and qualifications. The experienced lawyers at Estey & Bomberger, LLP will do everything necessary to see that justice is served to their clients. They work hard for their clients for the best possible outcome.

Tips to Find a Top Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney

Saturday, May 14th, 2011

In a Southern California city such as Ventura, Pasadena, or Los Angeles, criminal lawyers are a dime a dozen. But how do you find the most qualified counsel out of the many expert lawyers in California? Which defense counselor in San Bernardino is immensely educated in forgery law, DUI/DWI law, writs and appeals law, or assault law? A person wanting to hire a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney has to ask himself/herself these questions! People are stunned to realize that many of my clients are first time lawbreakers, who because of dubious circumstances are arrested and charged with a criminality. Sound familiar?

Many of my customers are word of mouth referrals, referred by acquaintances, people in their network or their lawyer. Being referred is the starting step, but how do I, as a prospective client, know if this criminal defense attorney is most appropriate for me? My administrative assistant, Cynthia, is the first person who has communication with a prospective customer. Cynthia is frequently asked if the criminal attorney has any experience handling criminal court trials just like theirs and what is my success rate? Often the client will directly ask me those same question.

Those are terrific questions that need to be answered honestly. But how do you know if your criminal defense attorney is honestly telling you the truth? “Buyer beware”- there are a lot of attorneys out there who will exaggerate the facts when it comes to their qualifications and previous experience – my investigator, refers to this puff as the attorney at law “selling wolf tickets”.

To help you find a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who is suitable for you and your criminal court case, here are five easy steps to help you choose a competent criminal defense attorney.

5 steps to find a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles

1. Know the crime you have been arraigned with. Ask colleagues and friends for recommendations to criminal lawyers. Word of mouth is a great way to find an lawyer that’s right for you. You will feel more confident hiring a criminal defense legal representation who was recommended by someone you trust.
2. Go online to expand your list. A good site to find good criminal lawyers is lawyers.com. Simply type in the area of law and location to determine your query. For example, “Riverside criminal attorney”, or to be even more precise, “drug trafficking attorney San Diego”.
3. Research the list of attorneys you’ve put together. Find out how long they have been practicing criminal law (general rule of thumb is at least 15 years), how many criminal law court litigations they have won/lost. In California, you can look up an attorney’s undergraduate and law school schooling and how long they have been admitted to the bar at The State Bar of California website. More importantly, check whether the lawyer has an AV Peer Review Rating on lawyers.com website. This rating is a recognition of the attorney’s legal competence and adherence to the highest level of professional ethics as judged by other attorneys and judges.
4. Ask the legal representation about the fees. Depending on the counsel, rates can vary greatly from $100/hour to over $750/hour. Get his/her costs schedules up front to know precisely what you will be paying. Never be in agreement to work with an attorney that charges a percentage of the total settlement he/she gets for you. It is unethical for the attorney to do so.
5. Meet with the attorney in person. But before meeting, make sure you find out whether there is an initial consultation fee. Ask as many questions that pertain to your criminal case as possible. Get an overall sense of how comfortable you feel and whether or not he/she is competent enough to represent you in the court of law. Does the defense counselor ask appropriate, sensible questions? Will he/she handle the case or let junior associates do the work? To hire the best Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, ask to see their track record in writing and then go to the court and check them out!