When you have a personal injury claim, hiring the right law firm is the best step towards winning compensation that is equivalent to the value of your claim, if not more. With so many factors to consider, it can be challenging to find a law firm that will offer services that lead to a win and make the claim process easy and convenient for you.
There are many good law firms, but it can be tiring to find one that meets all your needs. You need to look for a quality law firm like Zachar Law Firm.
Regardless of the type of personal injury claim you are going through, these are the qualities of a good personal injury law firm you need to watch out for.
Trial Experience
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a law firm is their trial experience. You can determine this by looking at the years of practice they have and even the amount of clients they have represented in similar cases.
Having a lawyer with vast experience when it comes to trials is beneficial because it gives you the confidence of knowing the person representing you is familiar with cases like yours; hence, increasing your chances of winning.
Trial experience also equips your lawyer with knowledge necessary to avoid intimidation. For instance, Insurance companies often have very intimidating lawyers during the negotiations, and having a lawyer who is not afraid of proceeding to the trial is an advantage on your part.
Client-Driven
A law firm needs to be client-driven. When a law firm is client-driven, it puts you, the client, above everything else. If you have serious injuries, your lawyer needs to come to where you are, whether it is at your home or the hospital. Having a lawyer who puts your convenience before their own ensures that the lawsuit process is not as traumatic. You will have enough time and space to recuperate while still confident that your lawyer is working for your benefit.
Affordability
It is vital to find an affordable law firm. The purpose of pursuing a personal injury claim is to help you cater to your needs like hospital bills, mortgage bills, and even groceries, especially if your injuries hinder you and make you unable to work temporarily or permanently. Having a lawyer who is too pricey will leave you with substantial financial burdens. You need to ensure that the percentage of money your lawyer takes from the settlement, or legal fees, still leaves you with enough to cater to all your other financial needs.
Attention and Attitude
Another excellent quality to consider in a law firm is the attitude they have towards you. From the moment you call to the time you get a lawyer to talk to, you can tell if they are a good fit. Lawyers need to be patient when examining and explaining your case. They must also be willing to work extra hard to ensure that you win. This is evident in the number of cases they handle at a time.
Having a lawyer who is dedicated to your case solely allows them to concentrate better than having a lawyer dealing with ten or more cases at a time. The amount of work and attention a lawyer will give your case if they have more on their plate, is not the same attention a lawyer handling will provide your case if they have a reasonable number of cases to handle.
Find a Befitting Law Firm
Finding a law firm that will cater to your needs can be tricky, but if you know the qualities to look out for, your work will be easier. You must ensure you settle for a law firm that has trial experience. If the negotiations fail to work, you will be confident in the kind of representation you will get from your lawyers. You must also find a client-driven firm that caters to your needs and puts them first. If you are bedridden or nursing wounds, your lawyer should be able to come to you because your needs come first.
Affordability is also important. The fee structure of a law firm is also something you must consider before settling for a firm. The last quality to consider is the firm’s attitude when it comes to handling your case and the kind of attention they will give your case. With these qualities in mind, you will not only find the right law firm but one that will also increase your chances of winning.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).