There are many things you should look for in a lawyer.  First, you should determine if he or she practices in the area of law which you need.  What area do you need?  If you have suffered personal injuries, you need someone who practices in that area and who really specializes in it.  If you have been injured on a cruise ship, you need someone who practices in the area of maritime personal injury.  If you have been injured by a product, you need a lawyer who knows product liability.   If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident by the negligence of a storeowner, you need a lawyer who handles slip and fall accidents. 

Anyone can say they practice in a certain area or handle certain cases, but what is the extent of their experience in the area?  What kind of results have they gotten?  Are they the type of lawyer who settles quick and cheap or do they really take cases to trial and if so what are their results?  These are some of the questions you should ask;  these are some of the things insurance companies look at when they decide how much to offer in settlement on a case.  

Look for the following in a lawyers background:

Was he or she ever on the other side, in other words representing the insurance companies, cruise lines, and railroads in the past?  If so, for how long?  This can be a huge advantage.  This lawyer knows the case from the perspective of the other side and knows the players on the other side.

How long has he or she been in practice?  It takes years after law school to train as a lawyer and to know how to do what it takes to get results. 

Has this person been a leader in the community or among lawyers?  If so, this lawyer may be well known and respected by the Judges, the other lawyers, the insurance companies, and the juries.   Look at whether the lawyer has been the president of a bar association and whether he or she has chaired committees of the bar associations.      

Is the lawyer Board Certified as a trial lawyer?  The Florida Bar (the body which licenses and regulates all lawyers in Florida) has a Board Certification process which only a few lawyers have.  This process requires a certain number of trials and experience, and passing an all day examination.  The American Bar Association also recognizes the National Board of Trial Advocay for national certification. 

Has the lawyer written articles or lectured in the area?  Some lawyers write articles and lecture for other lawyers explaining the law in the area or trial techniques.  The law is always changing and lawyers are required to take courses.  Look for the lawyers who lecture at these courses. 

Has the lawyer been recognized by organizations which rank or recognize the outstanding lawyers in the area, the state, or the nation?  There are many such organizations like:  Martindale Hubbell (international directory of lawyers with a rating system in which the lawyer ins rated by other lawyers, i.e., his/her “peers”;  A/V is the highest rating); Who’s Who which lists lawyers based on their backgrounds and accomplishments overall;  Superlawyer.com which again ranks or lists lawyers based on reviews by other lawyers;  South Florida Legal Guide, which has categories for areas of practice and ranks according to what other lawyers say;  Florida Trend Magazine which names its “Legal Elite”.   

What results at trial and in settlement has the lawyer gotten?  Results speak for themselves.  But look at the severity of the case compared to the result.  In other words is there a million dollar recovery in a case in which the client was put into a wheelchair after the accident or in the case of a less serious injury?                   

Lights Out on Cruise Ship;  Passengers in the Dark

 

The Island Star cruise ship, a ship which until last year sailed as the Celebrity Horizon,  lost all power for a time last week somewhere off of the coast of France.  The entire ship was plunged into darkness.  The captain said that the cruise line was flying technicians to the ship for repairs.   After the technicians arrived, they apparently repaired the problems for a while.  Then less than a day later the same thing happened.  Then the captain declared that the cruise was over and called for the 1476 passengers and an undisclosed number of crew to abandon ship.  After all of the fear and anguish by the passengers that meant to get into the life boats with their luggage and be ferried to shore.  Many of the passengers were elderly.  At least two collapsed in the process of abandoning ship. 

 

Island Star cruises is a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and First Choice Holdings.  Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines owns Celebrity Cruise Lines.   That means that the ship went from one arm of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (Celebrity) to another (the joint venture).