If you were injured in an accident and are looking for an experienced and skilled personal injury lawyer to handle your potential case, then you need to know who you may be hiring, and what you may be getting yourself into when you hire them. Our team has put together a list of things you should expect:
1. Invasive questions- When you go to a personal injury attorney to determine your legal rights and options after an accident, be prepared to answer many detailed and sometimes invasive questions. To fully analyze whether you have a claim, your personal injury attorney needs the details, even if they are difficult to recall. Your lawyer can handle your case appropriately and efficiently when they know everything that may be relevant to your claim.
2. Challenges to your story- In most situations, your account of what happened will not perfectly align with the other party’s story. This is to be expected. Every car accident has some gaps or contradictions. Because of this, your lawyer may challenge you. They may question you regarding the truth or validity of your account. All of this is to prepare for the other party’s stance and to find the weaknesses in your case that you may need to address.
3. A wait- Most personal injury cases are not resolved quickly. You may have to wait weeks or months for medical treatment and recovery. Before then, you may not have any reliable way to predict your current and future medical expenses. Depending on the complexities of your case, you may have to go through months of research, legal procedures, and negotiations before you reach a settlement agreement. If your case is going to go to trial, it may take even longer. During this time, you should have full access to your attorney. However, there may be periods of time when you do not hear from your lawyer. Speak with your attorney about the tentative timeline for your claim, and when/how you should expect to hear from them.
4. Realistic expectations– You may not like what your attorney has to say about your case. Once your lawyer has had a chance to listen to your story, do some more research, and fully analyze your situation, they will provide an objective opinion regarding your chance of obtaining compensation. Your lawyer will explain the worst and best-case scenarios and the probable outcome that falls in between. Your lawyer may also not recommend fighting over every issue. An experienced personal injury lawyer knows when it benefits you to fight, and when it is time to compromise.
5. A contingency fee- Many personal injury lawyers are compensated based on a contingency fee. This means you do not pay your lawyer unless you successfully resolve your case, either through a settlement or a court award. When you “win,” a percentage of your compensation is paid to your attorney. You may have to pay for court fees or hire an expert witness, however, you will not be forced to pay a large upfront fee or an hourly rate throughout your case. Your attorney will explain what expenses you are and are not responsible for, and the percentage of the contingency fee if you win your case.
Let Our Personal Injury Attorneys Help You
At our service, we understand how difficult it is to handle all of the ramifications of an accident. It may be both physically and emotionally painful to address your current circumstances, including injuries, medical treatments, and a potential lawsuit. Our team of attorneys is here to help you with all of the legal and administrative consequences of this accident.