8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been in a serious accident recently or were injured in some other way, you might be entitled to damages. Of course, it could be very difficult to secure compensation after sustaining a personal injury. This is why it is so important that you retain the services of a personal injury lawyer.

Now, one quick search for personal injury lawyers on Google will likely land you hundreds of millions of results. With so many different attorneys out there, it is easy to be overwhelmed.

Luckily for you, we’re here to help. So keep on reading and we will take you through the top questions that you need to ask a personal injury lawyer before you hire them.

1. What Are Your Fees?

Practically all personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you won’t need to pay your lawyer a fee unless you end up winning money in the suit.

If you do win money then your lawyer is probably going to take a percentage of the award. This usually between twenty and forty percent of the award.

It is very important that you consider how much you stand to win and how much you’ll need to pay your lawyer if you do win. You don’t want to hire someone who is so expensive that you’ll pretty much end up with nothing in the end.

2. If I Lose, Will I Need to Pay Any Costs?

Your lawyer might charge you for costs related to the case as well as a contingency fee. You want to know everything that you’ll be paying for before you hire someone. You don’t want to end up paying for certain items and then still lose the case.

3. Have You Tried Personal Injury Cases That Are Similar to Mine?

You never want to assume that a personal injury attorney has handled a case before that is similar to yours. For every lawyer that you consult, you want to find out what their experience is and what the results of their cases were like.

A lawyer who mainly deals with car accidents might not be qualified to handle your slip-and-fall case. You also want to make sure that the lawyer has experience in front of a jury. It’s important that you learn why you should hire a lawyer with experience relevant to your case.

4. How Much Time Can You Devote to This Case?

A lot of lawyers take on too many lawsuits at once. This can lead to them putting off your case as they try to rack up more clients.

You want to ask your lawyer how much time they have to devote to your case. You also want to know who is actually going to be working on your case.

At the big law firms, they very well might float a partner in front of you with the implication that they will be working on your case when in reality it will be someone much lower on the ladder.

You want to know exactly who will be handling your case.

5. Usually, How Long Will It Take to Resolve This Kind of Case?

You should find out from your attorney how long it will take to resolve your case. A lot of factors can influence how long it takes to complete a lawsuit. An experienced lawyer should be able to give you a good timeline, however, of how long you can expect the whole ordeal to take.

Make sure that your lawyer is committed to completing your case in a timely fashion.

6. Will My Case Go to Trial?

You should be cautious of any attorney who tells you early on that your case is going to settle. Your lawyer should be prepared for every case to go to trial. They shouldn’t be caught by surprise if it ends up happening.

This will allow you to enter settlement negotiations with confidence. If it does go to trial, then your lawyer will be ready to give it everything they’ve got.

7. How Much Is This Case Worth?

Your attorney should have a good idea of how much the case is worth. At the very least, they should be able to provide you with a range. Your lawyer should explain to you how different factors, such as preexisting medical issues, liability, and discovery may impact a verdict or settlement offer.

Do research on your own to try to get an idea of how much the case is worth. If your lawyer seems to be way off, then ask them how they got to that amount. Be wary of any lawyer who tells you you’re going to become rich from this case.

8. Can I Talk to a Former Client?

Don’t be afraid to ask the lawyer for references. Your attorney should be able to give you the contact information of their satisfied clients.

Don’t rely on promotional materials and testimonials on their website. You want to talk to real people.

The Importance of Knowing What Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better idea of what questions you should ask before hiring a personal injury lawyer. As we can see, the more questions you ask, the better you’ll be able to decide which lawyer is going to be best for your case.

Make sure to check out the rest of our site today for more helpful articles!