How to pick a Vioxx attorney?

Several Vioxx victims have written to ask about tips on picking a Vioxx attorney. They have indicated to our Vioxx recall team that there are just too many attorneys out there interested in working with them and they are afraid that they might end up picking the wrong attorney or not get their due compensation, or even worse, fall into the hands of a crook.

Here are some things to look for when you decide to work with a Vioxx attorney?

1. Research, research, and research. Visit their websites and look around. Find out more about their team structure, how long have they been around, and how many cases of this type have they handled, etc.
2. Find out if they have an attorney in your area (within driving distance). There will be occasions that you will need to visit the attorney and you definitely don't want to be on a plane to meet an attorney.
3. If they provide a phone number on their website, give them a call to ask the questions that are not answered on their website. This will give you peace of mind before signing up.
4. Some attorneys do not have the capabilities to handle Vioxx related cases themselves. Developing the evidence to go to court and preparing a compelling case for you requires a lot of expertise and hard work. Such attorneys will partner with other firms who have more expertise in such cases. In our opinion it is not that you should not hire such an attorney, particularly if it is a good law firm otherwise and meets other criteria that you might have (for example, a local contact), but it is good to find this out up front so that you know what to expect. In fact, going through a small firm may be a better option than approaching a humongous law firm where no one will know you personally and you will be on hold for 20 minutes before you even talk to an operator.
5. Once you develop a short list of lawyers that you want to consider, do a Google search on their names and find out what others are saying about them. Stay away from a firm if you come up with a lot of negative feedback on the firm.

If you still have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Vioxx recall team.