Losses from foodborne illness are devastating. That’s why hiring the right food safety lawyer is so important. Here are seven important tips:

1.Make sure the lawyer is ethical.

All lawyers are required to follow the Rules of Professional Responsibility. These rules spell out what a lawyer is allowed to do in order to solicit clients. For example, a lawyer cannot call you or ask someone else to contact you on his/her behalf. Thus, if a lawyer or an investigator for a law firm contacts you by telephone or in person, that is strictly against the rules and a violation of professional conduct. The same is true if the lawyer directly or indirectly offers something of value in order to induce you hire him/her. Any lawyer who violates these rules is unethical and should not be retained.

2.    Make sure the lawyer is experienced

Food safety cases are complex and involve a number of subjects about which most lawyers are unfamiliar. Successful food safety lawyers must have years of experience representing food safety survivors and know and understand technical subjects including epidemiology, microbiology, infectious disease, food safety and sanitation, and internal and gastrointestinal medicine. As importantly, lawyers handling these cases must be top-notch trial attorneys. Insurance companies know which lawyers try cases (and are therefore capable of large verdicts) versus those who have little trial experience and end up settling for less than experienced trial counsel.

3.Make sure the lawyer obtains large verdicts and settlements on behalf of foodborne illness survivors

An important indicator of the talent and success of your foodborne illness lawyer is his/her ability to consistently obtain large verdicts and settlements on behalf of victims of foodborne illness. Any lawyer can claim to be a food safety lawyer, but few have a track record of multi-million dollar successes on behalf of their clients. Before hiring a food safety lawyer, make sure to ask how many large verdicts and settlements he/she has obtained.

4. Make sure the lawyer is not a publicity hound

Some lawyers start food safety law suits just weeks or even days after a foodborne illness outbreak. In most instances, the only reason for doing so is to attract attention in order to sign up more clients. That benefits the lawyer, but rarely benefits the client. It is far better to fully investigate the case, obtain medical records, meet with doctors, speak with friends and family members and generally get to know the client and his/her losses before “going for the headlines.”

5.    Make sure the lawyer is recognized by his/her peers for legal excellence

Top lawyers are recognized by their peers for the quality work they perform and their success over the years. Before hiring a lawyer, make sure he/she is a certified trial specialist and has been voted as a Top Super Lawyer or as one of the Best Lawyers in America.

6.    Make sure the lawyer has the time and willingness to provide you with the individual attention your case deserves

Significant cases like yours require a great deal of time, energy and resources. The lawyer who represents you must be willing to focus on your case and not try to “wholesale” it along with scores of others. There is a direct correlation between time, attention and results. Your case deserves individualized attention and personal involvement from the lawyer representing you.

7.   Make sure the lawyer has the right staff and access to the best experts

Because of the complexity of these cases and the resources food companies and their insurers devote to defending them, it’s critically important that your lawyer has the best people available to work on your case. That’s why top food safety lawyers have in-house epidemiologists, nurses and highly trained paralegals to work on your case. In addition, your food safety lawyer should have access to or relations with the best doctors and academics available to serve as expert witnesses on your case.

Fred Pritzker has over three decades of experience representing survivors of foodborne illness and other unlawful conduct. He has collected millions of dollars on behalf of food safety victims and is recognized by his peers as one of the Top Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America. He is also a civil trial specialist certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates. Please contact Mr. Pritzker for a free case consultation by email (fhp@pritzkerlaw.com) or telephone (toll-free 1-888-377-8900).