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It’s no surprise that, when people call us looking for a referral to an attorney, they often ask for the best lawyer nearby. We especially hear this from people who are calling to sue after a car accident. “Who is the best car accident attorney near me?”
The driver, and possibly the passengers, have likely suffered some injuries. Often their vehicle has been towed away for repairs, or it is a total loss. So not only do they want a highly competent attorney who has an excellent track record on car accident cases, but they also want a lawyer close to their home, because they think that they will need to go to the lawyer’s office several times over the course of the case. And they now may not have access to their car, their main method of transportation.
But in reality, there is no one “best attorney” for every car accident case. In addition, whether or not the law firm’s office is within a 5-mile radius of you should not be the most important factor for who you hire. Here’s why.
The “Best” Car Accident Attorney
The best car accident attorney for one person may not be the best for another. A variety of factors influence who you should hire. The most important factor is who hit you. Was it a semi-truck? A pizza delivery vehicle? An individual driving a 2001 Scion? A case against a trucking company or a commercial vehicle is different from a case against an individual driver. How much insurance coverage the other party has is a related factor. Some of the “best” law firms won’t touch a case where there is only $50,000 in insurance. And if it’s a major injury and the other driver was operating a commercial vehicle, most law firms out there don’t have the track record to get you the most compensation possible.
“Near Me”
Some people mistakenly think that they will have to shlep to and from an attorney’s office repeatedly over the course of a case. Even before COVID, law firms were signing up clients and communicating with them virtually. Technology allows for e-signatures and facetime or zoom calls. Very rarely is in-person communication necessary. In addition, the vast majority of lawyers who specialize in car accident cases have offices near the courthouses because they need to appear in court so frequently. So being a mile or two from the attorney’s office should definitely not be a key factor in who to hire. None of the lawyers we recommend ask you to come see them if it’s a problem. They will come to see you.
To put it another way, would you rather have a close by lawyer and have your case settle for $1 million or have a lawyer from a prestigious firm who’s a bit farther away and have the case settle for $3 million. The reality of Illinois car accident law is that some cases are worth more money in the hands of better firms.
What we do is evaluate your case and make sure we recommend the best one possible for you. Sometimes that will be someone who is in your town. Other times it might make sense to get someone far away because of the type of case it is. Whatever your situation, we’ll treat you like a family member or fried and give you honest, straight forward advice. If you want our help, please fill out our contact form or give us a call at 312-346-5320 to speak with an attorney for free.