Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you are injured in an accident, a personal injury lawyer will be able to help you recover damages from the person or entity that caused your injury. In some cases, this can be the driver of another car, a property owner who failed to keep their property safe, or a business that failed to provide adequate security or protection. If you have been injured as a result of someone else's negligence, you may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills and other related expenses.
The personal injury claims process can be a long, drawn out and confusing ordeal for many people. The decisions you make about your case can affect you for years to come, both financially and personally. It's important that you are as knowledgeable as possible so that you can make the best decisions for yourself. To help you with this, we've created a list of questions to ask before hiring a personal injury lawyer.
Do youspecialize in personal injury? While many lawyers practice personal injury law, just as many don’t. Just like all doctors deal with injuries, but some specialize in certain areas like heart disease or cancer, the same holds true for lawyers. You wouldn’t go to a heart doctor for cancer treatment, so why would you go to a general attorney for a case involving personal injury?
Personal injury lawyers specialize in cases where one person has been injured or killed due to the negligence of another person or entity such as a business. Lawyers who practice personal injury law typically handle cases involving medical malpractice, construction accidents, automobile accidents, and products liability cases (defective products). In short, if the client was injured because of someone else’s mistake, they will generally be able to help.
Do you haveexperience handling my type of case? Your case may be different from most cases handled by an attorney. For example, personal injury attorneys who handle medical malpractice may focus more specifically on birth injuries or cardiac care malpractice. Those who regularly litigate motor vehicle accident cases may specialize in ATV rollover accidents. Find out how much experience your attorney has with cases like yours. Also ask whether your case will be personally handled by the attorney or passed off to another lawyer or paralegal within the firm.
Will I have to pay upfront? If you're like most people, when you're injured in an accident, your first thought is likely not, "I wonder if I need to hire a lawyer." You'll likely be thinking about how to get medical help and how to pay for it. And the last thing on your mind will be talking with a lawyer and getting an estimate, let alone paying anything upfront to hire one.
But lawyers who handle personal injury cases are used to this scenario. They know when someone needs professional help sorting out their claim and that the person may not have the money on hand to pay for it up front. So they usually try not to add any more stress or hassle by asking for payment up front. This is why most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations and work on what's called a contingency fee basis.