How long should I wait until I begin looking for an attorney? Is it a good idea to wait a period of time before I hire an attorney?

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If you have been injured in an accident, generally speaking, there is no good reason you need to rush out and get an attorney immediatly. You should think about your claim on your own first and decide if it would be worthwhile to hire an attorney. For more information about researching you case you can request any of my free books. After you decide an attorney would likely increase your chances of success you should begin looking for legal counsel. I detail how you can go about finding the right lawyer for your case in my book Straight Talk: The Shocking Truth About Lawyer Advertising.

On the other hand, you should not wait too long to contact an attorney if you believe you have been injured by the negligence of someone else. The time limit in Washington State is three years from the date of the accident. Many attorneys will not take your case if it is too close to the end of the time limit. Also, if you wait to long, it may be difficult for your attorney to investigate your claim and get you the best result.

In order for my clients can receive the most benefit from my experience, which includes guiding them through all aspects of the claim, it is best to hire an attorney within 2-6 months following an accident. In the real world, this does not happen every time and accident victims will contact me before or after that time period and I can still help them, however it is crucial to emphasize that you don’t want to wait too long so that the statute of limitations is approaching.

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