Choosing a lawyer for your personal injury case requires you to do some homework. In 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that lawyers could advertise and the result over the years has been an increasing barrage of advertisements on bill boards, televisions, radio and etc. The truth is often times the lawyer that you see on television never really represents you. In fact you may never meet him. Ideally the relationship between a client and a lawyer should be one of a partnership. You should have a series of questions that you ask a lawyer to determine if an accident lawyer is the right attorney to represent you and your best interests
Here are 5 questions you should ask your car accident attorney before hiring them to represent you:
- What is your firm’s communication policy? Your personal injury lawyer will be taking many steps towards a resolution on your behalf. For you to make the best decisions for your future and that of your family’s future it is important that the attorney have a policy of regularly contacting clients and responding to their emails and phone calls. If the lawyer isn’t communicating properly or clearly then it’s a proper indicator that you shouldn’t go with that accident attorney.
- Will there be any fees to get started? Most of the finest personal injury lawyers don’t take up front fees and will only get paid if they win your case. There are accident attorneys who do take up front fees, and some will ask to be paid before a settlement is reached. Consult with the personal injury attorney to determine what’s right for your situation.
- Do you pay more if the personal injury case takes longer? Some lawyers may have a fees that escalate if they take your claim to court. In addition it is possible that the personal injury attorney may charge interest on payments which can add up to out of pocket expenses for claimants. This can be tough if they injured party is not able to work as a result of their injuries.
- Does the accident attorney have any testimonials to share? A trusted personal injury lawyer will be able to provide you with proof that they have the expertise to get the best results in the form of testimonials from their clients. You may also want to find out the percentage of the claims they collect on and how many of those are settled out of court?
- How dedicated is the personal injury practice to cases similar to yours? Each discipline of personal injury law such as work place injury, motor-vehicle accident, slip and falls, dental malpractice, dog bites and so on may have many fine points of its own. If a lawyer doesn’t dedicate much of their practice to helping clients dealing with cases similar to yours, they may not be fully up to the challenge. However they may also be able to refer you to an accident attorney who does dedicate their practice to a specific type of case.
If your personal injury attorney doesn’t fulfill any of these key points then it’s time to start looking for another accident attorney who can represent you properly. It is important to recognize that each case is unique and you may find your set of circumstances may require a little creative thinking so always be open to the personal injury lawyer’s suggestions. Just make sure your interests are protected and that you don’t have unrealistic expectations.