10 Important Questions For Your Accident Attorney

Unfortunately, you will not get advanced notice of when an accident will occur.  This leaves many sufferers unprepared and uncertain on how to deal with the aftermath of the accident.  If you or someone you know is in an accident, you will have to make a lot of decisions quickly.  One of the things you may have to consider is hiring an accident attorney.  In order to hire the best accident attorney, you need to vet the attorney.

Here are 10 question you should ask an accident attorney to make sure you hire the ideal person for your case.

1. What type of law does the attorney focus on?

You wouldn’t expect a brain surgeon to provide your baby with pediatric care even though he/she is technically a physician?  Would you?  With the same logic, you shouldn’t visit an attorney who doesn’t focus their practice on personal injury work.  Attorneys usually specialize in a specific area of the law, and have technical skills associated with those areas.

2. Has the attorney worked on cases similar to yours? How many?

Just because somebody specializes in a specific type of law does not mean that they have experience in your type of case.  Most  attorneys are now allowed to give details regarding previous cases and outcomes.  If possible you need to ask for details of previous cases.  Obviously, past outcomes on cases is no guarantee of the outcome of your case, but you will get a better sense of the lawyers capabilities..

3. Will other attorneys work on your case?

Lots of times, lead attorneys at firms pass on case’s to junior attorneys.  These junior attorneys do majority of the leg work.  The junior attorneys might be totally capable to do a marvelous job on your case, but if it’s important to you to have a specific attorney you need to say so.

4. How long does the attorney think the case will take?

It’s important to have a sense of how much time it will take until you’re paid for the injuries you endured.  There are a number of variables which will impact the length of a trial, therefore no attorney will have the ability to provide you with an specific time period.  However, they should be able to provide you a general estimate based on the duration of cases similar to yours.

5. Will the attorney work on a contingency basis?

Majority of personal injury attorneys won’t bill you for their services, but they will take a portion of the settlement when you win your case.

6. How involved does the attorney want clients to be?

A lot of people believe when they hire an attorney, they can sit back relax and wait for a check to arrive in the email.  Unfortunately, that’s hardly ever the case.  The attorney will likely want you to be involved in order to get information about details of what happened and any medical issues that occurred from the accident.  Keep in mind, your attorney is attempting to assist you, so be happy to help him/her assist you.

7. How often does the attorney go to trial?

Cases that go to trial usually receive bigger payouts.  Insurance companies, that generally wind up paying for the injuries in a personal injury case, will generally offer lesser amounts in settlements than in trials.  Your attorney will have to study the factors of your specific case to determine the proper strategy for your case.  An attorney who does not go to trial might be a indication he/she is trying to get a fast pay off without fighting for how much you can possibly get in court.

8. Has the attorney had an disciplinary problems?

Majority of attorneys won’t have any kind of disciplinary problem, but if they have this could be a red flag.  You are going to want to learn what they did to get in trouble.  You should ask if this will affect their capacity to efficiently represent you?

9. If the client and attorney disagree about accepting a settlement will the attorney respect this?

Some attorneys only want a fast payoff instead of making sure that you receive every dollar you’re entitled to. Because of this, some attorneys insist that you take a settlement, even if you don’t agree with.  Some attorneys, might withdraw from representing you if they think you should take a settlement and you don’t.  You need to ask your potential attorney if they will respect your decision to not take a settlement before you hire them.

10. Can the attorney supply testimonials from previous clients?

Attorneys are now allowed to provide references from previous clients.  A previous customer references can offer a great idea of whether previous clients were happy with the attorney.

Asking these simple questions can increase the chances of finding the most qualified attorney instead of attempting to pick one based on TV advertising, Yellow Page advertisements, or attorney referral services.  One of the best places to find an attorney is from references from friends and family.