Questions to Ask in a Personal Injury Case
What questions should you ask a personal injury lawyer before hiring their firm?
Choosing the right personal injury lawyer is an important decision if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s wrongdoing or negligence. You want to work with a reputable, knowledgeable, and reliable attorney who will fight for what you deserve. This may involve interviewing at least two attorneys before committing to work with them.
Weighing your options will ensure a smooth experience and a beneficial relationship with your lawyer. Here are some of the important questions to ask in a personal injury case.
Have you litigated cases like mine before?
Expertise and experience are all-important when it comes to legal cases. But just because a law firm has been in business for over a decade doesn’t mean they have experience with your type of case. It’s generally best to hire an attorney who has handled cases like yours and won. Many times, ideally.
What’s more, you’ll want to make sure the attorney has a good success rate.
What are your fees, and how do you calculate them?
Most personal injury attorneys are paid based on a contingency fee. This means that they do not receive any fees for their services unless you recover monetary damages in your personal injury lawsuit.
The contingency fee is a percentage of the amount recovered in a claim or lawsuit, typically between 25% and 40%. The lawyer can deduct their portion from the gross recovery or after the case expenses are deducted. Be sure to ask how costs and expenses are treated.
What is my case worth?
It’s natural that you want to know the value of your personal injury claim. While a personal injury lawyer cannot guarantee how much compensation you will receive, they should be able to provide a spectrum and explain how various factors could impact your claim’s value. Typically, the more severe your injuries, the greater the value of your case.
What happens if I lose? Who will be responsible for any case-related costs?
This is one of the most important questions to ask in a personal injury case because the answer may impact your financial well-being. There are certain legal expenses in every case, including medical record retrieval fees, filing fees, expert witness fees, and other essential clerical expenses.
These costs will add up depending on how long it takes to settle your case. Some lawyers will charge you for these out-of-pocket costs, win or lose, while others won’t. Be sure to ask a lawyer about their policy for case-related costs.
What are the weaknesses of my case?
No matter how strong a personal injury case is, there are almost always issues and difficulties that need to be addressed. An experienced attorney will be able to point the issues out to you quite easily and then propose a viable solution. If the lawyer says that your case will go smoothly, that should be a serious red flag. The legal system is complex, and nothing is ever straightforward.
Will my case go to trial?
Insurance companies will try to settle the case for the lowest amount of financial compensation. While most personal injury cases are settled out of court, your case may go to trial if you aren’t satisfied with the settlement offer. Your lawyer should have the skills to negotiate with the insurance adjusters and obtain the best possible settlement. They should also have the experience needed to prevail if your case is taken to court.
Who will actually be working on my case?
Ask who will actually handle your case at the law firm. Some firms float senior partners in front of potential clients and then delegate the case to paralegals, young associate attorneys, and support staff. It’s important to ask who will be handling your case and how much involvement the lawyer will have. Also, ask who you can expect to speak with when you have questions or concerns about your case.
Contact Our St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys for a Consultation
If you’ve been injured in an accident and need legal representation, get in touch with the personal injury lawyers at Yanchuck Berman. We will answer your questions, explain your rights and options, and provide you with the information you need to make a decision that’s in your best interest. When you come to us for help, you can rest assured that one of our experienced attorneys will handle your case.