Who should you hire if you’re a tourist, injured on vacation or out of town? If you’ve been injured in Virginia as a tourist, as someone just visiting family or friends or vacationing, common dilemma is, do I hire a Virginia personal injury lawyer, or do I hire a lawyer from my hometown to help me with the case? It’s a matter of personal preference. In some regards, it’s convenient to hire a lawyer from your hometown because they’ll be familiar with the doctors you see, the hospitals you go to, your treating providers, they’ll know how to get those medical records, and they’ll be down the street from you if you need to go meet with your attorney. On the other hand, these insurance companies, if they see your lawyer as not a Virginia lawyer and is not licensed to practice in Virginia, they may not view you as a legitimate threat to file a lawsuit against them and sue them in court to demand fair value. So that’s why I would err toward hiring a Virginia personal injury lawyer if this is where you’re hurt. We know Virginia law. We know all the Virginia rules. We know how to protect your interest because Virginia law will apply if you are hurt in Virginia. The law of the state you’re from is not going to be relevant in your personal injury case. If you really want to hire your hometown attorney, you just want to make sure that attorney has a close relationship or knows some Virginia lawyers to where if negotiations break down or if they’re not offering you fair money, they have a Virginia lawyer they can associate, refer you to, or loop in quickly to file that lawsuit and make sure you get fair value. But on balance, I would err toward hiring an attorney in Virginia or where you were injured. No need to worry. Call Cooper Hurley. The Car Crash Experts. 333-3333.
