Over the past few years, there has been a rise in the number of complaints that hernia meshes have been causing post-surgery complications. This has led to several mesh products being taken off the market and patients filing claims against manufacturers. If you’ve been suffering from adverse side effects due to your hernia mesh, you may be eligible for compensation. One important step to securing a successful lawsuit is to choose a good lawyer. Here’s a guide to choosing a lawyer before starting an abdominal hernia mesh lawsuit.
When you’re searching for a suitable lawyer, you should be asking yourself these questions:
- Are They Experienced in Handling Hernia Mesh Cases and Fighting Big Companies in General?
- Do They Have a Good Track Record?
- Do They Have Good Communication?
- Do They Have a Clear Fee Structure?
- Do You Feel Comfortable Around Them?
Are They Experienced in Handling Hernia Mesh Cases and Fighting Big Companies in General?
It’s always preferable to find an attorney who specializes in and is experienced in the area of law that your case involves. In this case, it would be hernia mesh lawsuits. A lawyer who is experienced in handling hernia mesh cases is not only more likely to win your lawsuit but can also best represent your interests and help you get the outcome that you deserve.
As well as this, it’s better to find an experienced lawyer who’s familiar with the courts and laws of your state.
It’s not to say that you shouldn’t choose a lawyer who has little experience or if their first case turns out to be yours. They might turn out to be an excellent legal representative. However, it’s wiser to choose a more seasoned attorney if you want a better chance of success – especially if your case is as serious as a hernia mesh lawsuit.
To find experienced hernia mesh attorneys, don’t just consult Google. Widen your search and contact your local bar association for qualified attorneys in your area. State bar associations keep public records about lawyers in your area and have free referral services to help you find a legal professional to suit your case’s needs.
Do They Have a Good Track Record?
It’s important to find a qualified and experienced attorney, but it’s also important that they have a good track record – professionally and personally.
Professionally, a lawyer should obviously have a good success rate. You will want to look for information on the lawyer such as:
- The areas of law they specialize in.
- Their educational background and work history – ideally, you should look for an attorney with at least three years of experience in practicing the area of law you need help with.
- Check their firm’s website or the attorney’s own website, if they have one. The best attorneys and firms will have well-developed websites and blogs offering lots of useful information.
Personally, a lawyer should offer a good professional service. The easiest method is to search for his or her name on the internet. Look for online reviews and comments about their service. Your state’s bar association website lists any complaints, misconduct charges, or malpractice accusations that might have been made against the attorney.
As well as this, you can also check their social media profiles, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. How an attorney portrays themselves on social media can give you a sense of their personality, interests, and what they may be like to work with.
Do They Have Good Communication?
Hernia mesh lawsuits are often long-term disputes. It usually takes several years before the manufacturers are even willing to discuss settlement amounts, never mind closing the case. As a result, you’ll need to stay in regular contact with your attorney.
What you don’t want is an attorney who doesn’t return phone calls or emails in a timely manner. Although legal cases may be routine for them and they might be juggling a number of different cases, it’s important that you’re still treated as an individual. You shouldn’t be treated like just another case in their portfolio.
One good way to test the firm’s communication is to send them a follow-up email following your initial consultation. If it takes too long for them to respond, such as days or weeks, the firm might just be too busy to handle your case. However, if you’re impressed with the quality of their answers and response time, you may have just found your perfect attorney.
Do They Have a Clear Fee Structure?
A good attorney will have a clear, honest, and appropriate fee structure. For starters, you need to make sure that the attorney’s fees are worth your case. Smaller cases don’t warrant the most expensive legal services. Larger, more serious disputes such as hernia mesh lawsuits, however, do require experienced, more expensive lawyers for the best success rates.
You should also inquire if your lawyer bills by the hour or charge a flat fee. If they advertise a very low, flat fee, you need to find out if there are any hidden additional costs. The advertised price might not include admin and court filing fees, for example.
Do You Feel Comfortable Around Them?
An extremely important quality that you need to look out for is whether you feel comfortable in your attorney’s presence. An easy-going and comfortable relationship with your attorney means you can be more open with them – which is obviously what’s needed if they’re going to win your case for you. You need to be able to give them all of the information about your hernia mesh case and feel comfortable about it.
The attorney should be supportive, understanding, sympathetic, and empathetic. They shouldn’t be elusive or impersonal in any way as it might discourage you from being totally honest and open. This can then affect your case. After all, a lawyer can’t fully help you if they don’t know all of the relevant details.
Where Can I Find a Qualified and Experienced Attorney For My Hernia Mesh Case?
Finding a good attorney is arguably one of the most important steps you can take toward winning a legal case and contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to be a challenging task. However, you do need to take some time and research.
Focus on finding a lawyer who has experience in your specific legal issue (in this case, hernia mesh claims) and who you can get along well with and trust. Taking the time to find the right lawyer is worth it because they are more likely to be able to win your case.
At Coxwell & Associates, our team of qualified attorneys is experienced in handling a range of personal injury cases, including hernia mesh. We’ve been helping Mississippians win personal injury cases for over 35 years. You have presented a solution to your hernia problems and now you’re left with even more troubles. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today for a free case consultation.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for general information purposes only, and is not a substitute for legal advice. Anyone with a legal problem should consult a lawyer immediately.