Hiring a personal injury lawyer after a car accident, falling on someone else’s property is your best chance at securing fair compensation from the liable party.
Families dealing with the wrongful death of a loved one also regularly have greater success recouping compensation with an experienced personal injury attorney for things like medical and hospital expenses, funeral costs, lost earnings, estate administrative costs, punitive damages, loss of inheritance, mental anguish, pain, suffering, and loss of companionship.
When you consult injury lawyers in your area, what should you ask them?
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There are a few things you should inquire about before retaining an attorney for your injury claim. The answers should help to ensure you find the right professional to represent your case best.
The first question an attorney can answer for you is whether or not you have a legitimate case. Because personal injury lawyers work on contingency, meaning they only get paid if winning the case, attorneys won’t take cases in which they don’t sincerely believe they can succeed.
If a personal injury lawyer determines there isn’t a case, you won’t be charged anything because consultations are free.
The greatest peace of mind in having a personal injury lawyer work on your insurance claim is that they handle nearly every aspect so that you can focus on your rest and recovery. Some ways your personal injury lawyer should assist include:
Experienced personal injury attorneys will provide all these services and go even further when necessary. For example, your lawyer may track down any witnesses to collect statements not given at the incident or accident scene.
Asking which attorney will be handling your case is a pertinent question. In reality, many personal injury firms assign cases to lawyers different from those you meet with. It’s also common to have paralegals doing most of their leg work. Find out who specifically will be assigned to your case before asking the next question.
There are far too many reputable law firms with proven winning records for you to simply accept any firm you find on Google. Do your due diligence by asking questions to determine their value in representing your personal injury claim.
Again, most personal injury lawyers work on contingency, so there are no upfront costs. It’s still good to have them clarify that in addition to what percentage of your final settlement they will take for their contingency fees. It’s common for contingency fees to increase if your case requires going to trial, so make sure they clearly define their cost.
A personal injury lawyer can’t immediately determine your case’s exact value. Still, an experienced one can assess the severity of your injuries and damages and give you an estimate. You may find value in gauging their relevance after they break down what your specific damages and injuries are worth.
The level of communication people want varies from client to client. So, you must ask how regularly the attorney will update you about your case.
Personal injury lawyers often work without reporting all the details to their clients daily. If you expect frequent updates, you must inform the lawyer during your free consultation.
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A personal injury settlement may take months to reach or even more than a year, depending on the severity of the damages and whether a trial becomes necessary.
A personal injury attorney can only ballpark a time frame for your case’s resolution. However, only a small percentage of personal injury claims go to trial.
An experienced personal injury lawyer will advise you on what to do and what not to do to make your claim process go more smoothly. For example:
What You Should Do:
What You Should Not Do:
If you’ve already made a recorded statement with the at-fault driver’s insurance company or have written posts on your social media accounts, seek a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer to determine your next steps.
Now that we’ve answered: “What questions should I ask a personal injury lawyer?” —it’s important to understand the value of hiring legal counsel to represent you as a personal injury victim. There are three critical factors to consider:
Personal injury lawyers know about local, state, and federal laws. Their experience is valuable in navigating a complicated legal system and tricky antics insurance companies use to dismiss liability and claims, such as denying the severity of injuries or delaying the claims process.
Incalculable Experience:
An invaluable asset in a personal injury attorney’s arsenal is their negotiating ability. Many people are intimidated by negotiation, with 58 percent of the younger workforce neglecting to even negotiate their job offers, even though 87 percent of those who do receive additional compensation.
Negotiation is part of a lawyer’s daily endeavors, and the experienced ones excel at it. That typically translates to substantially larger settlements for their clients.
Maintaining all your appointments, such as the doctor, chiropractor, massage, physical therapist, and therapist, while also managing your claim can be overwhelming.
Having a personal injury lawyer handle all the necessary paperwork, communications, and legal aspects of your personal injury claim alleviates that anxiety and added stress from piling onto other challenges in your recovery journey.
Most personal injury lawyers are contingency-based, meaning they don’t collect a fee unless they win your case. There is zero financial risk if you lose, and it costs you nothing up front to retain a professional dedicated to protecting your legal rights and earnestly fighting for fair compensation for your incident or accident.
Seek a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer now.
Marcus & Mack
