Hiring a good personal injury attorney is key to the success of your case. If you’ve been in an accident, the last thing you need is to add hunting for a personal injury attorney to your list of recovery tasks when you may be experiencing the physical, emotional, and financial effects of your accident.
Therefore, understanding what to ask before hiring a personal injury attorney will help you select the best lawyer for your case — someone experienced, ethical, and committed to achieving the best possible outcome.
Here are five important inquiries you should use to screen potential personal injury attorneys.
1. What Is Your Experience with Personal Injury Cases?
One of the very first and most important questions to ask a potential attorney is one of experience. Personal injury is a very general area of practice, and the cases may vary from auto accidents and workplace accidents to medical malpractice and wrongful death actions. Each of these types of cases has its own methodology, evidence, and legal approach.
For instance, if you’re injured in a truck accident, an attorney who does this type of case every day will be more knowledgeable about federal regulations involving trucks and will be better able to establish fault. You can check this out for more information.
Be sure to ask about this during a free consultation to ensure the lawyer has the right background and expertise for your specific situation.
2. What Is Your Fee Structure?
It is essential to know how your lawyer will be compensated before entering into any agreement. The majority of lawyers who represent accident victims work on a contingency fee; hence, they will receive nothing unless they recover in your case. The typical contingency fee varies between 30% and 40% of the recovery or award based on the nature of the case.
Hence, request your potential lawyer to explain how payment and fees will be handled.
3. How Will You Keep Me Informed About My Case?
Good communication is the cornerstone of any client-lawyer relationship. Ask your lawyer how they will keep in contact with you in your case. Will he or she call or e-mail you regularly? How long will you have to wait to hear back from them when you have questions or concerns?
Understanding the communication process teaches you, reassures you, and keeps you up to date, as it keeps you posted on every step in your case. You are always supposed to be kept informed about the status of your case.
4. What Is Your Opinion of My Case
An effective personal injury lawyer will give you a frank and honest opinion about your case after going through the facts.
Also, beware of attorneys who offer a fixed settlement figure without having investigated your case in detail—no experienced attorney can guarantee this. Instead, seek one who presents a clear strategy for proceeding about building evidence, and, if necessary, going to trial.
5. Have You Tried Cases to Verdict?
Not every personal injury case settles; some do go to trial. It is reassuring to know if your lawyer has any actual trial experience. The defendants will be more inclined to settle reasonably, knowing the other lawyer will have no hesitation taking the case to trial.
Key Takeaways
Choosing the right personal injury lawyer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make after an accident. Before hiring one, remember to:
- Ask about their experience handling cases similar to yours.
- Understand their fee structure and any potential costs.
- Consider their trial background and readiness to proceed to trial with a case if necessary.
Based on these vital questions, you can confidently go ahead and select a personal injury attorney who will defend your rights, speak plainly, and fight to secure the best possible outcome for your case.
(The information in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of The Global Hues. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information in this article).
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