While ads in the newspaper, on the TV, in the phone book or even on the internet are the most common way that people find attorneys, it is also important to check with family and friends to see if they have someone they would recommend.

Always ask the attorney what their success rate for settling cases both in and out of court is. They should be able to give you a percentage of cases that settle out of court and a percentage of cases they win should they go to court.

It's a good idea to carefully document everything that happens to you if you've been involved in a major car accident, in order to get things down while they're fresh in your mind. Include things like the circumstances, the cause of the accident itself, and any injuries you may have sustained.