How to Choose the Best Dental Malpractice Lawyer
If you or a family member has sustained severe damage or injury from the actions or negligence of a dentist, one of the first things that you need to do is to find a reliable and experience dental malpractice lawyer. Your lawyer will help you deal with the complexities involved in malpractice laws. Remember that medical and dental malpractice law is a specialized area of law, because of the intersection of medical and legal issues. He will help you prove that your dentist has indeed provided you with substandard care.
Here are some of the most important factors that you need to remember when you are looking for the right dental malpractice attorney PA for your case.
First, ask for referrals from good sources such as the state bar, legal organizations, and even your family members and friends who have gone through a similar case in the past. You can also search online for some of the top recommended dental malpractice lawyers in your area. Just make sure that you are checking reliable sites that actually contain real and honest reviews from previous clients. Once you have a good list of potential candidates, find as much information as you can about the lawyers in your list.
Second, make sure that the lawyer you choose has the right credentials and qualifications. For instance, does the lawyer specialize in medical and dental malpractice? Does the lawyer belong to personal injury trial lawyers organizations, such as the American Association of Trial Lawyers or any corresponding organization in your state or country? The lawyer should have an active membership and should be in good standing. Check out reviews that the previous clients of the lawyer has written about his work. Just make sure to remember that most clients will leave a bad review depending solely on the outcome of the case, without taking into consideration the role of the lawyer or the viability of the case.
Third, contact your top choices. You can do this either by e-mail, phone, or through the contact form on the lawyer’s website. Ask if they specialize in dental malpractice and what percentage of their caseload is devoted to cases in this area of law. Find out what percentage of their case go to trial instead of getting settled. Ask for their rates. Remember that many lawyers take on cases on a contingency basis. This means that the lawyer will only paid when you collect your money from the settlement or on the judgment.
Finally, make sure that you are working with a dental malpractice attorney who has verifiable experience in this field. Medical and dental malpractice can be some of the toughest cases that any lawyer will ever handle. They involve complicated medical jargon that lawyers who don’t have enough experience or knowledge in the field might be unable to understand. Hiring lawyers who are inexperienced in this area of law will definitely put you at a disadvantage, especially because hospitals, dentists, and insurance companies will have experienced lawyers on their side.