If you have been injured or harmed in an accident that was not your fault then it may be time to retain the services of a personal injury lawyer. Whether it was a workplace injury or a car accident, you may be entitled to a settlement. Talking to a personal injury lawyer will give you a better idea about whether you have a claim that will go through or not. However, before even getting to that point, you will want to know which personal injury lawyer that you should hire. Here are a few questions to ask personal injury lawyers when trying to decide who you should go for.
What area of the law do you specialize in?
You want an attorney that focuses their practice around personal injury, workers’ compensation, car accidents and things like that. There are many different areas of the law and so you want to make sure that the lawyer you are considering knows the laws regarding your specific situation.
Have you taken cases like this before? What was the outcome?
This will show you whether or not the lawyer is skilled in your situation. The amount of personal injury cases they have taken and if they turned favorable or not will be very telling about whether or not your specific case will result in a settlement for you. Just because they specialize in the personal injury field does not mean they are very good at it.
Will other attorneys work with you on my case?
A lot of lawyers will employ the help of junior staff and paralegals to do a lot of the work for them. They may be very competent but if it is important to you that you retain the help of this specific lawyer, then you may want to discuss that with them and meet any potential staff that are going to be helping.
How long do you think the case will last?
It’s important to get an idea of how long you will be out of work or have medical bills piling up on you before you get the compensation you need to pay things off. For example, if you got in to a car accident and your car was totaled, you’ll want to know how soon it will be before you can get a new car and are able to get back to work. There are number of deciding factors so don’t get discouraged if your attorney can give you an exact time frame but they may be able to give you ballpark numbers.
Can I do anything to improve my chances of success?
Hiring a lawyer doesn’t mean that you can just sit back and let the lawyer take over until you get paid. You may need to see doctors, investigators and stay active and involved in the case all the way through til the end. Letting your attorney know that you are available to help and want to succeed will help him or her to be able to make the necessary decisions regarding your case.
Do you work on a contingency basis?
Most attorneys do not charge up front costs for their work and will take a percentage of what you receive contingent on a positive outcome. A contingency fee is when you only pay if you get a favorable result. However, some attorneys do charge an hourly fee and that can get very expensive very quickly.
Do you have any references?
Seeing reviews and references from past clients can give you a much better idea of the type of lawyer that you are dealing with. This will show you whether they were satisfied with the work and the result that they got from the lawyer. Keep in mind that not everyone can be pleased, so you can’t expect a lawyer to have 100% good references, but the majority of them should be favorable.
Asking these questions will give you a good idea about whether this is the attorney that you want to work with or if you should keep looking. Remember that you attorneys are there to help you and are on your side so try not to make the interview an attack but rather an informative discussion about their work and who they are.
