Choosing the best clinical negligence lawyer is not as simple as selecting from one of the many advertisements posted on signs, television or in magazines. In fact, choosing the right lawyer can prove extremely important to winning your case. Clinical negligence is a term used mostly in the United Kingdom and refers to a medical professional or facility that has acted outside the scope of accepted and standard practice causing illness, injury or death to a patient. If suing for clinical negligence, finding an appropriate solicitor means reviewing experience, reputation, style and funding.
A clinical negligence lawyer should be able to provide examples of experience and show proof of competence. Lawyers have specific areas of expertise, and not all solicitors are experienced in clinical negligence. These types of cases are complicated and detailed, involving information that is unknown by those inexperienced in medical legal issues. The Law Society notes approval of certain solicitors specializing in clinical negligence, and there are also several other groups that serve to give accreditation to experienced and accomplished clinical negligence lawyers. Check for these symbols when reviewing a lawyer’s qualifications.
In order to choose the best local clinical negligence lawyer, speak to friends, family or acquaintances who have needed to use a solicitor's services. The lawyer should have a reputation for competence, showing empathy, and providing quality customer service. As a patient who has already been wronged by a medical professional, you want a lawyer who will meet your needs and does not have too high a caseload to focus on bringing you a favorable outcome.
The style of a particular clinical negligence lawyer should also be a factor in your choice. Some lawyers are very aggressive and focus on a trial. If this is not your strategy, this type of lawyer will probably not work for you. Other clinical negligence lawyers offer a more subtle approach and focus on settling prior to taking a case to trial. Lawyers usually offer a free face-to-face meeting to go over the facts of a particular case and to determine if the lawyer and potential client will be a good fit for each other.
Many clinical negligence lawyers will not take on a case without private funding. Often, a certain percentage is taken from the amount recovered in a trial or settlement. You may also find that a clinical negligence lawyer wants money up front prior to the case being settled. This may or may not work in your particular circumstances, and it is important to make your choice based on the funding situation that works best for you.
