A friend or family member has been seriously injured or even killed due to someone else's negligence, and you want to help find a good lawyer. How should you choose? Certainly not on the basis of TV ads, billboards or direct solicitations which are actually prohibited by the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Start by downloading a free eBook, The Smart Consumer's Guide to Hiring a Great Lawyer, which lists these criteria for selecting a lawyer.
1. The number of years the attorney has been practicing law. Ken Shigley has practiced law in Georgia since 1977. Every lawyer in our firm has practiced at least 29 years.
2. The attorney specializes in the area of law that pertains to your case. Since 1981, Ken Shigley has practiced in personal injury, wrongful death and insurance claim litigation, first 10 years defending cases for insurance companies and then 20 years representing individuals and families. About two-thirds of his work involves commercial truck and bus accidents. He is on the national board of the Trucking Litigation Group.
3. The lawyer has good trial experience -- actually takes cases to trial -- not just going to court for hearings. Ken Shigley is one of just 20 board certified civil trial attorneys of the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Georgia, a designation that requires extensive documentation of trial experience. He was certified in 1995, and recertified in 2000, 2005 and 2010.
4. The attorney has a good track record and wins at trial. An example of results is that Ken Shigley won a jury verdict for a million dollars more than he asked for in a broken leg case in a conservative rural county in northwest Georgia. That is rare.
5. The lawyer has a good understanding of and experience with injury cases that are similar to yours. Ken Shigley has successfully handled many cases involving wrongful death, spinal cord injury, brain injury, burns and back injuries, arising from auto, truck and bus accidents, dangerous premises and defective products.
6. The attorney has been recognized with awards and distinctions. Ken Shigley is President of the 42,250 member State Bar of Georgia. He was appointed by Governor Deal to the Criminal Justice Reform Council, and serves on the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism, the Institute for Continuing Legal Education in Georgia board, the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution and the National Conference of Bar Presidents. He has had the highest rating for competence and ethics ("AV") in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory since 1988, and has been listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1995. He is listed as a Georgia "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine) and among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend).
7. Quality of the lawyer’s website content is high and is very informative. See this website and connected sites and blogs.
8. The attorney is the author of instructional books, articles, videos, etc. Ken Shigley is the author of Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation & Practice (West, 2010) and has published numerous articles in state and national legal periodicals.
9. The lawyer is often called to speak to professional legal organizations and law schools. For nearly two decades, Ken Shigley has been a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs on trial practice, personal injury, wrongful death, insurance claims and trucking litigation, both in Georgia and across the nation. For a decade he was on the faculty of the Emory University Law School Trial Techniques Program. As State Bar president, he is often called upon to speak at judicial conferences, law schools and local bar associations.
Do your research. Compare our qualifications to others.
Start by downloading a free eBook, The Smart Consumer's Guide to Hiring a Great Lawyer, which lists these criteria for selecting a lawyer.
1. The number of years the attorney has been practicing law. Ken Shigley has practiced law in Georgia since 1977. Every lawyer in our firm has practiced at least 29 years.
2. The attorney specializes in the area of law that pertains to your case. Since 1981, Ken Shigley has practiced in personal injury, wrongful death and insurance claim litigation, first 10 years defending cases for insurance companies and then 20 years representing individuals and families. About two-thirds of his work involves commercial truck and bus accidents. He is on the national board of the Trucking Litigation Group.
3. The lawyer has good trial experience -- actually takes cases to trial -- not just going to court for hearings. Ken Shigley is one of just 20 board certified civil trial attorneys of the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Georgia, a designation that requires extensive documentation of trial experience. He was certified in 1995, and recertified in 2000, 2005 and 2010.
4. The attorney has a good track record and wins at trial. An example of results is that Ken Shigley won a jury verdict for a million dollars more than he asked for in a broken leg case in a conservative rural county in northwest Georgia. That is rare.
5. The lawyer has a good understanding of and experience with injury cases that are similar to yours. Ken Shigley has successfully handled many cases involving wrongful death, spinal cord injury, brain injury, burns and back injuries, arising from auto, truck and bus accidents, dangerous premises and defective products.
6. The attorney has been recognized with awards and distinctions. Ken Shigley is President of the 42,250 member State Bar of Georgia. He was appointed by Governor Deal to the Criminal Justice Reform Council, and serves on the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism, the Institute for Continuing Legal Education in Georgia board, the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution and the National Conference of Bar Presidents. He has had the highest rating for competence and ethics ("AV") in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory since 1988, and has been listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1995. He is listed as a Georgia "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine) and among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend).
7. Quality of the lawyer’s website content is high and is very informative. See this website and connected sites and blogs.
8. The attorney is the author of instructional books, articles, videos, etc. Ken Shigley is the author of Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation & Practice (West, 2010) and has published numerous articles in state and national legal periodicals.
9. The lawyer is often called to speak to professional legal organizations and law schools. For nearly two decades, Ken Shigley has been a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs on trial practice, personal injury, wrongful death, insurance claims and trucking litigation, both in Georgia and across the nation. For a decade he was on the faculty of the Emory University Law School Trial Techniques Program. As State Bar president, he is often called upon to speak at judicial conferences, law schools and local bar associations.
Do your research. Compare our qualifications to others.
Then call us at 404-253-7862 or toll-free at 877-778-7944.
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