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Ask these questions before hiring a personal injury lawyer
Do you work on a contingent fee basis?
There are many advantages to hiring a personal injury firm on a contingency basis. Above all, it ensures that the lawyers' time won't be paid for by you unless they get a settlement on your behalf. Never pay upfront fees for personal injury representation.
What are the different kinds of cases you manage?
You must make sure personal injury law is their main focus. Many set up to practice general law manage a bit of everything, spreading themselves too thin. You wouldn't want a dentist repairing your eyes, so do not let just any attorney work on your personal injury case!
How long has your firm been practicing personal injury law?
Many will boast about their combined years of expertise. This might just refer to a large group of lawyers combining a few years each to make it seem like they have deeper experience than they do.
Be sure to inquire re. how many years the law firm has been practicing personal injury. There isn't a replacement for experience and courtroom time.
Are cases referred by other law firms to you?
This is significant for two reasons:
1. A lawyer that receives referrals from other lawyers does so because he's considered a leader and a specialist in his area. A lawyer is only going to send a case to another firm if the other attorney gets results and believes the business is valued.
2. Referrals will be accepted by a lawyer if other attorneys are seriously interested in helping clients. How the case came by way of another lawyer to other attorneys should not matter. Ego should at no time be involved.
How many years of experience - in personal injury?
This is a question that is critical. Their inexperience will really show in a court setting, possibly costing you thousands of dollars - or your whole case - if the lawyer does not have trial experience with cases similar to your own.
Being represented by a professional lawyer against the insurance company is among the most valuable roles a lawyer provides--having his leverage at your disposal holds the insurance company liable.
If the insurance company has a lousy courtroom record, or considers your lawyer is fearful to take your case to court, you will probably never receive the cash you deserve.
Does your law firm use innovative technology?
It was not long ago that law firms would document all the details of a case by paper and pencil. Actually, this system is still used by some lawyers.
In today's high tech world, your law firm should use state of the art technology, particularly a case management system.
Complex case management systems are significant for several reasons:
How long will it take to solve my case?
No lawyer can predict the time it'll take to settle your case. That will depend on certain aspects, like the length of time you are treated for injuries. More significant, it's going to be contingent upon on how many resources the lawyer is willing to dedicate to your case.
How frequently will I receive updates re. the status of my case?
The lawyer should have the capacity to manage your case from beginning to end. They need to be able to describe to you the life cycle of a case and who'll work on the various phases of your case.
Do I have any obligations while you work on my case?
Beside keeping your physician appointments and following their directions regarding treatment, you should do hardly any work for your own case.
You hire an a law firm to work for you - not the other way around. So if you are given a long to-do list, be wary.
Do you work with professionals and specialists ?
Personal injury cases that cover traumatic injuries will occasionally need expert testimony from professionals in various disciplines, including medicine, accident reconstruction, economic evaluation, etc. The law firm you choose should have successful working relationships with specialists of all kinds.
What's your fee if you win my personal injury case?
A lawyer shouldn't have any trouble telling you this. The normal fee a skilled personal injury attorney fees is usually 33% of the result.
Be sure to ask the attorney what happens to their fee if your case ends up in court. Some law firms will have what's called a sliding-fee scale. What this means is that 33% is their baseline fee, but if your case ends up in a court, their fee increases. Choose a lawyer that will not charge a sliding-fee.
Are you involved in any non-profit endeavors within your community?
This may appear to be a question that does not alter your case directly. However, a law firm will probably dedicate the exact same amounts of attention and fire toward your personal injury case as they do to their community. Do they care about other people - or not?.
The Bottom Line: Not All Attorneys Are The Same
Many individuals are unaware that law firms and attorneys in many cases are highly specialized. Not all attorneys are qualified to get similar outcomes for injury victims. Unlike the medical profession, which has unique titles for each specialty, understand that few attorneys with the same title will perform legal services with equivalent skill.
Be sure to get a trustworthy independent referral from a friend or a third party service like ours before signing anything!
There are many advantages to hiring a personal injury firm on a contingency basis. Above all, it ensures that the lawyers' time won't be paid for by you unless they get a settlement on your behalf. Never pay upfront fees for personal injury representation.
What are the different kinds of cases you manage?
You must make sure personal injury law is their main focus. Many set up to practice general law manage a bit of everything, spreading themselves too thin. You wouldn't want a dentist repairing your eyes, so do not let just any attorney work on your personal injury case!
How long has your firm been practicing personal injury law?
Many will boast about their combined years of expertise. This might just refer to a large group of lawyers combining a few years each to make it seem like they have deeper experience than they do.
Be sure to inquire re. how many years the law firm has been practicing personal injury. There isn't a replacement for experience and courtroom time.
Are cases referred by other law firms to you?
This is significant for two reasons:
1. A lawyer that receives referrals from other lawyers does so because he's considered a leader and a specialist in his area. A lawyer is only going to send a case to another firm if the other attorney gets results and believes the business is valued.
2. Referrals will be accepted by a lawyer if other attorneys are seriously interested in helping clients. How the case came by way of another lawyer to other attorneys should not matter. Ego should at no time be involved.
How many years of experience - in personal injury?
This is a question that is critical. Their inexperience will really show in a court setting, possibly costing you thousands of dollars - or your whole case - if the lawyer does not have trial experience with cases similar to your own.
Being represented by a professional lawyer against the insurance company is among the most valuable roles a lawyer provides--having his leverage at your disposal holds the insurance company liable.
If the insurance company has a lousy courtroom record, or considers your lawyer is fearful to take your case to court, you will probably never receive the cash you deserve.
Does your law firm use innovative technology?
It was not long ago that law firms would document all the details of a case by paper and pencil. Actually, this system is still used by some lawyers.
In today's high tech world, your law firm should use state of the art technology, particularly a case management system.
Complex case management systems are significant for several reasons:
- it gives the customer increased discretion and privacy.
- it keeps your case file from being lost and protected from fire and theft.
- it permits an attorney to create a professional and ordered electronic chronology of your case from beginning to end.
How long will it take to solve my case?
No lawyer can predict the time it'll take to settle your case. That will depend on certain aspects, like the length of time you are treated for injuries. More significant, it's going to be contingent upon on how many resources the lawyer is willing to dedicate to your case.
How frequently will I receive updates re. the status of my case?
The lawyer should have the capacity to manage your case from beginning to end. They need to be able to describe to you the life cycle of a case and who'll work on the various phases of your case.
Do I have any obligations while you work on my case?
Beside keeping your physician appointments and following their directions regarding treatment, you should do hardly any work for your own case.
You hire an a law firm to work for you - not the other way around. So if you are given a long to-do list, be wary.
Do you work with professionals and specialists ?
Personal injury cases that cover traumatic injuries will occasionally need expert testimony from professionals in various disciplines, including medicine, accident reconstruction, economic evaluation, etc. The law firm you choose should have successful working relationships with specialists of all kinds.
What's your fee if you win my personal injury case?
A lawyer shouldn't have any trouble telling you this. The normal fee a skilled personal injury attorney fees is usually 33% of the result.
Be sure to ask the attorney what happens to their fee if your case ends up in court. Some law firms will have what's called a sliding-fee scale. What this means is that 33% is their baseline fee, but if your case ends up in a court, their fee increases. Choose a lawyer that will not charge a sliding-fee.
Are you involved in any non-profit endeavors within your community?
This may appear to be a question that does not alter your case directly. However, a law firm will probably dedicate the exact same amounts of attention and fire toward your personal injury case as they do to their community. Do they care about other people - or not?.
The Bottom Line: Not All Attorneys Are The Same
Many individuals are unaware that law firms and attorneys in many cases are highly specialized. Not all attorneys are qualified to get similar outcomes for injury victims. Unlike the medical profession, which has unique titles for each specialty, understand that few attorneys with the same title will perform legal services with equivalent skill.
Be sure to get a trustworthy independent referral from a friend or a third party service like ours before signing anything!
