Don’t Hire an Accident Lawyer Before Asking Them These Important Questions
Hiring an accident lawyer for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. You likely have no legal knowledge and possibly haven’t been involved in a car accident before. As tempting as it can be to hire the first one you find offering the right services, take your time. Don’t be afraid to ask them the following questions before signing them on to ensure their suitability for your needs.
How Much Do You Charge?
Whether you’re looking for an ‘abogado de accidente’ or accident lawyer in a search engine, you’ll likely see conflicting information about how much you can expect to pay for legal services. As a result, asking your preferred lawyer how much they charge can be essential. That way, you can ensure you can pay for their services.
Fortunately, most accident lawyers operate with contingency fees. As a result, you don’t always need to pay for your lawyer’s time unless your case reaches a successful conclusion. However, you may be required to cover any administration costs.
How Much Experience Do You Have?
While asking about a lawyer’s experience might be uncomfortable, it’s an important question if you want to be comfortable with them representing you in a legal setting. The more experience a lawyer has, the more knowledge they have to help achieve successful outcomes. At a minimum, find out whether your chosen lawyer has experience working on cases like yours. You might then feel more confident signing them on to represent you.
Will I Be Successful?
Asking a lawyer whether your case will be successful is an excellent question to gauge their ethics as a lawyer. The most ethical, highly-regarded lawyers won’t say with any certainty that your case will be successful. After all, they can’t predict a court outcome. However, they can at least provide general information about your chances of success based on your unique accident details. Most lawyers will stop short of saying you will be successful.
What Am I Entitled To?
Most accident victims meet with lawyers to receive compensation for the costs incurred in an accident that wasn’t their fault. A natural question to ask is how much you can request. The likely compensation can often depend on the accident and its severity.
Victims of minor accidents with minor injuries might be successful in their request for vehicle damages and medical bills. In more severe accidents, there can be many additional economic and non-economic costs, such as:
- Medical bills
- Vehicle expenses
- Lost income
- Loss of earning potential
- Travel expenses
- House renovations for disabilities
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
Your lawyer can discuss these costs in great detail and calculate an appropriate settlement figure to send to the at-fault party in a demand letter.
How Long Will My Case Take?
With accident-related expenses piling up, it’s only natural to ask how long your case will take to conclude. Every accident case is different, so there’s no accurate ‘average’ timeframe. However, your lawyer might be able to provide a rough timeline based on the facts of your case.
You deserve all the facts before trusting a lawyer to help you obtain adequate compensation for a car accident. Ask your lawyer these questions above, and you might feel more confident entrusting them with your personal injury claim.
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