Do you need a Malpractice Lawyer? Knowing how to find a malpractice lawyer is critical, because winning a medical malpractice case takes experience and specialized knowledge.

When you are contemplating a medical malpractice lawsuit, your emotions can run high if you feel a doctor, hospital or medical professional caused trauma or even death due to their negligence. You need an experience attorney who knows the legal framework and guidelines for a successful case. A lawyer with the right expertise can help you know what direction to take your case and if you have a realistic chance of winning. In some cases, timing is essential when finding a lawyer because you may need to rapidly collect evidence to support your claims.

One of the best ways to find a malpractice lawyer is through a referral from friends or another lawyer. If you have a lawyer you respect that works in another field, ask for a referral. Ultimately, you must interview the lawyer and find one that you feel will respect your case and take the time to properly follow through on all aspects of the case until a resolution is obtained. If you feel comfortable with the lawyer, the arduous journey ahead of you will be much easier.

(Creative Commons photo by Thomas Roche)

• There are a lot of attorneys out there. Here are things to look for when considering the right lawyer for your malpractice case:

1. Specialization: Don't hire a divorce lawyer to handle a malpractice case. Medical malpractice is a specialized area of law, and you should only hire an attorney that handles this field specifically.
2. Experience: How long has this lawyer been working with malpractice cases? What law school did they graduate from? Do they have a background with the type of medical issues in your case?
3. Track record: Find a lawyer with a history of success. What do previous clients have to say about this lawyer's services?
4. Personal attention: Will this lawyer sit down with you personally to discuss your case? Will they have the time and resources to put their all into your case?
5. What is the size and financial stability of the lawyer's firm. Medical malpractice cases may require sizable financial resources to obtain medical witnesses, process medical tests and other information. You want a lawyer that has access to the funds needed to win your case.

Now that you understand the criteria for a good Malpractice Lawyer, you must find one.

There are multiple places you can start including word of mouth. Check with your friends and any legal professionals that you regard for referrals. You can also look in the yellow page listings. Most lawyers advertise in the local yellow pages and will list their specialties. It is also become easier to locate lawyers through online searches. You can process a localized search by putting malpractice lawyer and your city into a search engine. If you live in a smaller town, consider searching in nearby and larger cities to obtain a bigger list of potential malpractice lawyers.

If you are having trouble locating a suitable malpractice lawyer, contact your state bar association for a listing of qualified attorneys that practice in your area. Also consult the American Association for Justice that provides useful information on malpractice cases, including lists of malpractice lawyers.

After you have a list of potential lawyers, call each office and as information about experience, size of the firm and other pertinent questions to help narrow down your list. With your narrow list, schedule appointments with each one. Sign on with the lawyer your feel will be most likely to win your case and that you are comfortable with handling all aspects of your claim.

After you find the lawyer you want to work with on your case, be sure to follow through on all requests for information and keep on top of your case. Some cases drag on because the lawyer does not place a high enough premium on the case and focuses on cases they feel might gain more revenue for their firm. You never want to be the cause for a delay, so quickly provide all medical records, statements and eye-witness accounts as requested. You may have to go for medical assessments and examinations. Make sure to keep records of all tests and extra copies of anything provided to your malpractice lawyer for your records.

If you feel your lawyer is not working as efficiently on your case as you would like, discuss it first with your lawyer. If you are not satisfied, take your claim to the head of their law firm. Without proper resolution, don't hesitate to take your claim to another lawyer to avoid having problems with statues of limitation or time requirements to successfully file your claim.