If you’re getting close to graduating from high school, you’ll need to start thinking about what kind of career path you’d like to take. You might decide that you’re going to try to get a job right out of high school. You might think about going to trade school, or perhaps a conventional four-year college appeals.
There’s no denying that if you pass the bar, and you become a lawyer, that you will have many different career options from which to choose. That’s because the law has so many specialties and branches.
For instance, you might choose to become a car accident lawyer. If you do, then you have the opportunity to make a comfortable living, and to help people as well. How do you know that you would become a good car accident attorney, though? Let’s discuss that in detail right now.
Do You Feel Sympathetic Toward Other People?
If you become a car accident lawyer, and you represent individuals who need to sue other drivers, then you should ask yourself some important questions to see if that’s a suitable fit. For instance, you will probably want to ask yourself whether you have the capacity to feel empathy for others.
If someone comes to you, and they’ve sustained an injury from a car accident, then maybe they seem helpless and emotionally vulnerable. They might have serious medical debt, and they may have bills quickly piling up because they’re missing work. They’re turning to you for aid, and they need your expertise.
In that situation, you must act as that person’s lifeline. Can you do it? Car accident lawyers normally need the ability to connect with people. You have to let this individual know that you care about them and that they can trust you.
Can You Pay Attention to Detail?
If you’re going to become a good car accident lawyer, then you need to have the ability to pay attention to detail as well. That means you will need to be able to carefully look over all of the information on each car crash that your investigator or team of investigators uncovered. You must be able to pick out the details that matter.
If the other driver or the insurance company who your client’s suing won’t admit that the other driver caused the accident, then it’s your job to provide enough evidence so that you can convince a jury of their guilt. You need to not only collect evidence. You also need to know how to present it so that it benefits your client and backs up what they say happened.
That’s not always easy. Only someone with excellent attention to detail can usually pull it off.
Do You Have a Scholarly Disposition?
You will probably need a scholarly disposition as well. No matter what legal niche you enter, you must know all of the ins and outs that comprise its bedrock. You will need to cite precedent and have legal strategies in mind going into every lawsuit.
Without that specialized knowledge, you will not know what to do if the other driver or their insurance company tries to use tactics to avoid paying your client. You need to have the ability to get past those tactics to eventually secure damages for your client or a jury’s verdict in their favor. That’s how you make money for both your client and yourself.
Do You Get Stage Fright?
If you are someone who gets stage fright or doesn’t like speaking in public, then probably you won’t make a very good car crash lawyer. In this area of personal injury, it might become necessary for you to appear in front of a judge and jury to argue on your client’s behalf. You will need to get dressed up in your best outfit, make yourself as presentable as possible, and argue eloquently.
It’s not just about having abundant evidence that proves your client’s version of events. You must also have the ability to present it with flair. The best lawyers usually have both skill and a commanding presence. You will sometimes need both to get the money for your client and yourself toward which you’re working.
Can You Negotiate?
You will need to have strong negotiation skills to get into this profession. You may have to take meetings before the trial with the other driver and their lawyer. The other driver’s defense team might offer a settlement. However, maybe your client has a certain number in mind, and they will not accept any less than that.
If the defendant won’t immediately meet that number, and if they give a lowball offer instead, then you will need to have the skill to get them to the number your client wants. You may need to act as the intermediary between your client and the defendant.
Often, your negotiation skills will prove to be the difference when finding common ground between your client and the defendant. That will often lead to a settlement that works for both parties. That way, you won’t have to go through a long, drawn-out trial every time that eventually leads to a jury’s verdict.
Can You Argue with People Effectively?
You need excellent negotiation skills in this line of work, but you may also have the need to argue with people sometimes. If you spent time on a debate team in high school or you always liked arguing with your siblings, then those skills might come in handy later in your professional life.
You might need to argue if the other driver won’t admit they caused the accident, and then they take the witness stand at trial. Perhaps you will need to present them with all the evidence you and your investigators collected.
By doing so, maybe you can poke some holes in their argument. You can get the jury to agree that the other driver caused the accident and that they should pay your client accordingly.
