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Did you recently meet with a car accident with no fault of yours? If you are seriously injured and want to seek compensation for your damages, contacting a car accident attorney can be a wise decision.
However, hiring a car accident attorney is a task in itself. If you are not acquainted with one, finding the right one is tactical. If you are on a hunt for a good and experienced car accident attorney, here is how you should approach one.
Asking him the right questions can make a huge difference. The questions you should ask should include:
What Is the Legal Speciality of the Attorney?
Smartly rephrasing a question will reap different answers. Instead of asking, “are you specialized in car accident cases,” asking the attorney for his/her legal specialty will give you a more precise answer.
Your attorney should not be a general attorney but someone who is specialized in the case you are filing. For example, a personal injury lawyer or auto accident lawyer generally deals with car accident lawsuits. He should at least be specialized in these two fields. This makes them more skilled and knowledgeable to handle the case.
Who Will Be Actually Working on the Case?
When you are contacting a law firm for your case, 8 out of 10 times, the one you are consulting with isn’t the person who will be fighting your case.
To make sure nothing like that happens with you, interview the lawyer who will actually be handling your case. Also, at times, your case is rather assigned to a junior attorney or paralegal. If you are not confident with who is handling your case, ask for a switch beforehand.
Is My Car Accident Lawsuit Strong Enough?
Fighting a losing battle is a waste of money, time, and effort. It is feasible to file a lawsuit only when it is easy to establish the fault of the accident. The burden of proof in case of car accident lawsuits falls on the plaintiff.
A lawyer would better suggest the outcome of the lawsuit. If the case isn’t strong enough to recover the damages, mediation with the insurance company would be the next best option to consider.
Always seek advice from at least two to three lawyers before filing a case. Don’t lose hope if one lawyer denies your case.
What Would Be the Charges of the Case?
An attorney either charges a flat fee, hourly fee, or contingency fee. Ask how a car accident attorney would prefer to be charged. Mostly, auto accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. According to this, they are paid a fixed percentage of the total amount of settlement they are able to recover. If nothing is recovered, they are not paid any fee.
This is the most affordable payment method for plaintiffs.
How Long Do You Think the Case Will Last?
Depending on the complexity of the case, car accident compensation claims lawsuits carry continue for a decent period.
A good and experienced attorney will be able to provide an estimate of the same. The time largely depends on the extent of the damages to be recovered, i.e., medical costs, loss of income, etc. If the attorney also pushes for recovering the non-monetary damages, it can take longer.
Is There Anything the Representative or the Plaintiff Can Do to Increase the Chances of Success?
The better is the evidence and investigation, the more are the chances of recovering more damages. An attorney has to work on several cases at a time. He may or may not be able to collect the right evidence on time.
However, with your proactive support, the outcome can be more positive. The plaintiff or his family member should stay connected with the attorney. Speak to the investigators, meet additional physicians, record the evidence first, talk to witnesses, etc. This helps the attorney to focus better on your case.
What Other Costs Have to Be Paid By Me?
Filing a lawsuit doesn’t only involve the attorney fees but also other additional fees. The court fees and other related costs have to be borne by the plaintiff, especially in the case of a contingency fee system.
Attorneys have the idea of estimate total overhead costs that would involve filing lawsuits. Make sure to estimate such costs so that you don’t surprise yourself during the case.
To get a clear understanding of car accident lawsuits and how our car accident attorneys can help you out, contact us today.
