There are an estimated one million licensed attorneys in the United States. Many of these attorneys handle personal injury cases. While no two law offices are the same, there are some common threads that run throughout nearly each and every personal injury practice in the country. If you are considering a career as a personal injury lawyer, here are some things to keep in mind. The average attorney is generally a very busy individual. That especially applies to personal injury attorneys.

The most important requirement for a personal injury attorney is the ability to bring in cases. Without cases, there is no law practice. A successful attorney is able to market his or her services to the marketplace. There is such incredible competition amongst personal injury lawyers that generally speaking, the most successful ones are those that are able to effectively market and advertise his or her legal services. If you are considering a career as a personal injury lawyer and marketing is not your strong suit, it is recommended that you equip yourself with marketing information and knowledge so as to ensure that you are able to bring in cases into your practice. The attorneys that get the best cases are generally the best marketers. Marketing to both potential clients, as well as staying in touch with past clients, can ensure a steady case flow.

The attorney must be able to stomach and withstand up and down income periods. Personal injury attorney work on a contingency fee basis. That means the attorney only gets paid if he/she is able to successfully settle a client’s case. Therefore, the attorney’s income fluctuates. Some months there may be many settlements while other months, no cases may settle. This means the income is not steady, and never is for a personal injury lawyer. This line of work is only for those that are comfortable with not receiving a steady pay check each week.

Hire the Right People, and Row in the Same Direction

Additionally, the attorney needs to run a business. The practice of law is a business. Just like with any other business, if the business is not effectively and efficiently operated, the business will fail. The most successful personal injury lawyers are able to hire the right people. By hiring the right people and putting them in a position to succeed, the attorney’s chances of running a successful law practice skyrocket. The attorney must ensure that the law practice has systems in place so as to ensure that each individual is doing his or her job the right way. When everyone is rowing in the same direction at the same speed, the practice can definitely thrive. The successful attorney is the one who can effectively manage his or her staff. That is made so much easier by hiring and onboarding the right people and placing them in a role that will see them succeed and thrive.

Finally, the attorney must handle cases. The attorney must know how to effectively handle a client’s case from start to finish. They need to be adept at negotiation, and must understand how to effectively work with insurance adjusters. The most successful personal injury lawyers are those that are adept at navigating the judicial system. They must know how to litigate a case.Litigation can be a very adversarial process, so for anyone considering a career as a personal injury attorney, make sure that you are comfortable with the idea of litigating cases and going to court and arguing in front of juries.

Results Matter

In conclusion, what really matters most for any personal injury lawyer is getting results for his or her clients. If you are able to achieve successful results for your clients, they will come back to you and refer your business. The attorney who is able to successfully market his or her practice as well as successfully operate the practice on an administrative level and who is able to successfully handle clients’ cases from start to finish will have a very robust law practice. The profession of law can be a very rewarding one, as well as a very stressful one. If you feel that the profession of law, specifically, the profession of personal injury law is right for you, I absolutely encourage you to pursue this line of work.

Christopher Earley is a personal injury attorney in Boston who since 2004 has been advocating and fighting for the rights of the injured and their families. His office is dedicated to advancing the rights of the injured against large insurance companies.