How to Choose the Right Lawyer for Your Jones Act or Maritime Injury Case

Selecting the Right Lawyer May Be The Most Important Decision You Make
By Brian Beckcom

When you suffer a serious injury working offshore, or if a loved one is killed working offshore, selecting which lawyer will represent you in your case is one of the most important decision you will ever make for your case, if not the most important decision.  If your injury is career-threatening or career ending, or if the family breadwinner has been killed or disabled, obtaining a good monetary result in your case may be the most important thing that could happen financially.

Frankly, not many lawyers handle Jones Act, Longshore, Injury at Sea, or Maritime Injury cases on a regular basis. 

In fact, the vast majority of lawyers have never handled a Jones Act or Maritime Injury case in their entire career.

Now, some lawyers will tell you they have experience or are able to handle your case.  But before you hire a lawyer to handle any offshore injury case, you should consider the following five things:

1.  Don't hire the first lawyer you talk to.  Interview more than one lawyer.  Hiring a lawyer is a very personal decision.  Some lawyers are great for particular clients and some just don't "fit" right.  So shop around a little before making your decision.

2.  Ask the lawyer directly how many offshore injury cases he or she has handled in his or her entire career.  If the lawyer doesn't give you a direct answer, consider finding another lawyer to represent you.

3.  Ask the lawyer if he or she is board-certified in any field of law? 

4.  Find out about past case results by asking the lawyer for a list of case results.  Any competent lawyer should be able to provide this to you relatively easily.

5.  Ask the lawyer whether he has ever published any articles or given any speeches on Jones Act, Longshore, or Maritime Injury cases.  Obviously, it is not necessary for the lawyer to have published articles for he or she to be a good lawyer--but it doesn't hurt.

Remember, hiring a lawyer is a personal decision and you certainly don't have to hire the first one you interview.  You should shop around a little bit, ask the right questions, and only hire an attorney once you are satisfied with the answers to your questions and comfortable with the attorney and his assistants on a personal level.

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About the author

Brian Beckcom is a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer with extensive experience handling serious personal injury and wrongful death matters, including Jones Act, Longshore, and General Maritime Injury cases.

Mr. Beckcom practices at Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C., a Houston-based law firm with a national practice.

To contact Mr. Beckcom and schedule an appointment to discuss your legal matter, call toll free 877.724.7800.

To learn more about the Mr. Beckcom and his firm's practice, visit the following websites:

www.vbattorneys.com
www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com
www.themaritimelawyer.com

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Vujasinovic & Beckcom P.L.L.C
1001 Texas Avenue, Suite 1020
Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713.224.7800
Fax: 713.224.7801