Personal injury accidents can happen any time. Unfortunately, they can also happen when visiting another state. When you're injured in a different state, you should hire a lawyer from the area where you were injured and not from your home state. Here's why.
First and foremost, your lawyer must be licensed to practice law in the state in which you were injured. Unless the lawyer can obtain a one-time admission in the state, attorneys are required to be licensed in any state in which they practice law. Sometimes, however, personal injury lawyers try to negotiate out-of-court settlements in a different state. But technically, your attorneys are required to be licensed in the state in which a lawsuit might need to be filed.
Legal requirements aside, practically speaking it is always best to hire a lawyer who is familiar with the area where you were injured. A local lawyer knows the venue best and knowledge of a venue is very important in determining the value of a case. Is the venue known for decent verdicts for personal injury victims, or is it bad for personal injury victims? How are the insurance defense lawyers in the area? These things are important to know in order to properly evaluate a personal injury claim.
A good local lawyer also knows the specific rules and laws of the venue in which you were injured. A good example of this is the statute of limitations. States have different statutes of limitations, which tell you how long you have to make a claim. Missouri has a 5 year statute of limitations for most personal injury claims, but Kansas has a 2 year statute. It is very important that your lawyer know not only the state's statute of limitations, but also any other law or rule specific to that state.
These are but a few reasons you should hire a lawyer in the state in which you were injured. A lawyer from your home state should be able to refer you to a lawyer from the area where you were injured. If you have questions about finding a lawyer in another state, please contact our office. We are members of national organizations and have connections to lawyers all over the country and can point you in the right direction