Many personal injury attorneys will attempt to impress you with their fancy offices, plaques', photographs, views of Lake Michigan and even a limousine ride to and from the office. Unfortunately, these "props" do not tell the whole story.
When selecting a physician or surgeon, patients often do not hesitate to investigate whether these professionals have been or are currently being sued for medical malpractice yet they typically fail to do so when selecting an attorney. Therefore, it is essential that the client obtain this important information when interviewing a personal injury attorney. There is absolutely nothing wrong in asking the attorney these important questions. If the answers seem evasive or incomplete then the red flag of suspicion should be raised. Attorneys who delegate important case responsibilities to their young associate colleagues are much more likely to make mistakes that can be fatal to your case. Please note however that the mere fact that an attorney has been sued does not mean that he or she has done anything wrong. On the other hand where multiple lawsuits have been filed against the attorney the client must investigate the merits of these lawsuits.
Independent of the attorneys representations, the injured have a free tool available to them to obtain the answers that they certainly deserve. In Cook County and most of the surrounding suburban counties the clerks of the circuit courts maintain an on line electronic docket which can be accessed through their web site http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org/. You will then be able to insert the attorneys and their firm names to determine whether they currently are being sued or if actions have been brought in the past. Although the docket information will not give you all of the facts and circumstances of the lawsuit it will give you many of the facts that you will need. You can also learn the names of their previous clients and have the opportunity to contact them for additional information.
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