Accidents happen. Unfortunately, they often occur as a result of other people’s negligence. When that’s the case, it’s important to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the incident.
Personal injury attorneys help clients file claims against insurance companies or, if necessary, lawsuits against the responsible party. Since a personal injury attorney will be responsible for providing legal guidance and protecting the best interests of the injured party, it’s important to find the right one. Make a point of asking the following questions during initial consultations to determine if a lawyer will be a good fit.
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Table of Contents
How Much Experience Does the Firm Have?
There’s no right answer to the question of how long a lawyer has been in practice, but determining how experienced the attorney is at handling similar cases is a must. It’s less important when an individual attorney passed the state’s bar exam than it is to know what kind of experience the team as a whole has with representing accident victims.
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How Are Clients Billed?
Every law firm has a different strategy for handling fees and costs. Some require upfront retainers, while others only charge clients after obtaining settlements for them. Obviously, clients need to know what will be expected of them in terms of payments so they can determine whether hiring a particular lawyer is within the budget. You can check out this website to get a rough estimate of what your claim may be worth.
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What Steps Will Be Taken to Win the Case?
Some personal injury cases are simple and straightforward, but others are more complicated and take a lot of resources. If a case falls into the latter category, it’s important for the accident victim to have an attorney on his or her side that’s capable of handling not just negotiations with insurance companies but also courtroom representation. Potential clients should focus on not just what specific steps the lawyer will take but also how he or she presents the case in terms of complexity.
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What Is the Best Way to Get in Touch?
Accident victims need to be able to stay in touch with their attorneys to find out how the case is progressing and offer additional information as needed. Ask how often the lawyer will reach out with progress updates and what the best way is to get in touch with questions or concerns. Some lawyers make regularly scheduled phone calls while other attorneys communicate primarily through texts or emails. The important thing to consider here is whether the communication strategy is a good fit and if it seems like the lawyer will be easy to reach as the case progresses.
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What Are the Chances of Winning?
Good attorneys are honest with their clients. If it seems like there’s no feasible way to win the case, that’s an important thing for accident victims to know. The only way to tell which lawyers are being straightforward and which ones just want to get paid is to ask for second opinions, so it may be necessary to schedule multiple consultations.
Get the Search Started
Dealing with the aftermath of an accident can be incredibly stressful. Personal injuries often lead to expensive hospital bills, lost wages, and other damages, and victims deserve to get the compensation required to focus on healing and move on with life. Start the search for a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident to maximize the chances of receiving just compensation.