Questions to Ask Accident Attorneys During the First Meeting
When seeking legal services for your accident or personal injury case, you will want to choose the best accident attorney. While different lawyers have different styles of handling cases and areas of specialization, there are some basic things that you need to do before hiring one. The most important is asking the right questions during the initial consultations. Here are some of the questions you should consider asking.
What percentage of your legal practice is related to my type of case? Most lawyers today handle specific areas of accident and injury cases. It is important to know if a lawyer handles similar cases like yours. You don't want to work with someone who has no prior knowledge regarding your case. Knowing about a lawyer's expertise will go a long way in ensuring that you are hiring the right expert to represent you and help you get fair compensation for your injuries and other damages.
How many similar cases have you handled? If you have, how many of those have you won? Ask a lawyer to show you records of similar cases they have handled on behalf of clients like you. Analyze the records to prove if the cases were similar to your situation. Check the outcome of each case in the end. A reliable lawyer will have a good record of settling cases through negotiations with insurance companies. They should also have an impressive winning record in personal injury lawsuits in court.
Who will be handling my case? It is important to know if the lawyer you are talking to will be fully in charge of your case. If they will be working with other lawyers or experts to help solve your case, it is important to know that. Most lawyers will work with a team of investigators and other paralegals to perform certain tasks in your case. Ask the lawyer if you could meet them, get to know what exactly they will be doing and whether they are qualified to handle the given tasks. The post at http://www.ehow.com/how_4619851_file-negotiate-personal-injury-claim.html will give you information regarding auto accident lawyers and injury claims.
How do you charge your fees? It is critical to ask about the fees charged by a lawyer before hiring their services. Most of these accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. In this type of fee arrangement, you only pay the lawyer if he or she helps you get full and fair compensation. Ask the lawyer to explain what fees they take and how additional costs in the case are handled. It is also crucial to ask how long your case could take. An experienced lawyer will be able to give you a realistic time line but no guarantees.
