Getting into a car accident is definitely a very bad misfortune, but getting the wrong lawyer after you’ve gotten into a life-threatening incident is worse. Thus, it is important that you know the crucial questions you need to ask before you’ll decide to hire one. Let us discuss the important inquiries you need to open up to your potential personal injury attorney below.
Top Questions You Should Ask Your Car Accident Lawyer
Finding the right car accident attorney can help you increase the chances of getting compensated or winning your case. Find out what are the crucial questions you need to ask.
1. Do I have a winnable case?
Of course, this should be the very first question you need to ask after you confide to a car accident lawyer that you want to file a lawsuit. He or she knows if you really have a case to sue that has high probability of winning. Your lawyer knows if you have sufficient proof and he/she won’t advise you to proceed if your case has no big chance of winning.
2. How much would it cost me to hire you?
I guess this is a no-brainer. One of the major reasons why many people don’t bother to go to a lawyer has to do with the cost that comes along with hiring one. You need to ask how you will be charged. Most personal injury lawyers charge on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will only be charged if your case will win. Lawyers usually charge around 30% of the total settlement or compensation you receive. Also, it is worthy to note that some car accident lawyers offer free initial consultation.
3. How long the case would take?
Once you know that you have a winnable case, you need to know next how long your case will be solved or end. If you don’t want to deal with court appearances and the like, and if the defendants are willing to settle, then you can settle it with them. Your lawyer can provide you with an estimated time frame, but it still depends on a few legal factors which he/she can explain to you in more details.
4. If I will lose, what will happen?
There’s actually a slim chance that you will lose because at the very first evaluation of your case, if your lawyer is good, he or she can already determine if you have a high probability of winning or not. But, if you unfortunately hired an inexperienced attorney, then there’s always a chance that the defendants will win. If you’ll lose, you don’t get any kinds of compensation and worst, the defendants can sue you back.
5. What are the possible compensations that I will get?
If you will opt to settle, then you can get financial settlement from the defendants that is equal to the damages they’ve caused. If you’ll win the case, you may be able to recover not only medical bills and lost wages, you can also get compensated for the pain, suffering, emotional distress, and other types of damages you went through during and after the accident.
6. When do I need to settle?
A high percentage of car accident cases is settled between the victim’s party and the defendant’s. This happens if the accused is willing to pay for all the damages. Your car accident lawyer should know well about this. Getting a settlement means less stress and less time and effort. Still, if you feel that a settlement is unfair, you can always proceed to the court and demand to receive all possible compensations.
7. Can you give me a few examples of car accident cases you successfully represented before?
This question can help you finalize your decision if you want to hire a lawyer or not. Make sure that the background and track record are credible. Letting inexperienced attorneys handle your case is definitely a bad move and can cost you not only your money but also your precious time.
These are basic inquiries you need to probe before taking further step in filing a car accident lawsuit. Make sure you are well-equipped with the right information before you start a legal battle. Remember that even though you might be the victim, if the defendant has a strong alibi and a competent team of defense lawyers, your lawsuit might still backfire at you.