Sustaining a personal injury is nothing less than a nightmare turned into reality. Personal injuries are a serious matter that may leave you traumatised and shocked for some time. While it may take some time for you to recover, the first thing to think about is finding the ideal legal representation for your loss and suffering.
Finding the right personal injury lawyer can be a time-consuming challenge, but it is not an unachievable one. Exploring your options and asking the right questions can help you make the best choice to secure your interests.
If you are not sure about what to ask potential personal injury lawyers in the initial interview, here are some hard-hitting questions to keep in mind.
1. Inquire About their Success Rate
A part of hiring the right personal injury lawyer is conducting a series of interviews. You may think that you should take a humble start while talking to a potential personal injury lawyer about your case, but remember that there is no time. Taking timely action is important for you to find satisfactory results.
Do not try to soften your question. Instead, it is recommended to start with straight-forward questions such as asking about their success rate. After all, you do not want to hire someone who is known for the most number of failed personal injury suits.
You can inquire personal injury attorneys about their success rate and demand evidence on which they base their percentages. If they have a satisfactory success rate, it can be a great way to start a promising professional relationship.
2. Ask About Relevant Experience
Law is a vast field. You cannot trust anyone with experience in any field of law to be able to handle a personal injury law case. Instead, you need a lawyer with relevant experience in dealing with personal injury cases.
Seeking a personal injury lawyer with the right experience in the field ensures that they are familiar with the complexities and loopholes of this path. You can also ask them how long they have been practising this field of law to be more sure while making your choice.
While considering the experience of different personal injury lawyers, make sure that you prioritise someone who has experience in handling similar cases as yours. This way, you can ensure that the professional you are working with is well-versed in relevant laws and procedures.
3. Question About the Strategy
You do not have to blindly trust any personal injury lawyer who claims to be able to handle your personal injury case and promises to secure the best settlement for your loss. You must always keep your best interests as the first priority.
Do not hesitate to ask the personal injury lawyer you are considering hiring about the strategy and approach they plan to use to handle your personal injury cases. You do not have to wait till the last minute to find the answer.
Professional personal injury attorneys will not hold back from sharing their approach to your case with you. While they may not be comfortable sharing all the details about their personalised approach, they might be able to outline their strategy to help you make the best choice.
4. Demand to Meet the Representor
One of the most important things you must consider is who will be handling your case. It is possible that the person you initially met may not move forward with your case. Instead, another attorney or paralegal may be appointed to handle the specifics of your case.
Some law firms also violate the trust of their clients by passing on their cases to a junior attorney or a paralegal. Instead of feeling confused and dazed at the last moment, it is always better to ask your firm about the specifics.
Make sure that your firm promises you representation from the very personal injury who won your trust in the first place. This way, you will feel sure about the quality of representation you will receive as your case proceeds.
5. Learn About the Payment Structure
The payment structure of every personal injury firm can differ based on various factors. However, one thing you can be sure about is that most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis to give you a sense of confidence while working with them.
While the law firm you choose will likely work on a contingency basis, it is important to determine the percentage of your verdict or final settlement that they will take as part of their fee.
These percentages can differ from one law firm to another. It is best to ask these questions well in time to save yourself from any unfortunate surprises later. You can also ask them about any upfront fees or expenses along the way.
6. Figure the Potential Value of Your Case
No one can predict the exact outcome of your personal injury case. However, personal injury lawyers can answer your question regarding the potential value of your case based on their hands-on experience and expertise.
Over the years of experience, these attorneys have dealt with several similar cases to be able to provide a rough estimate of your case by taking different factors such as the severity of your injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering into account.
You can ask different law firms to provide their estimates for your unique personal injury case. The potential value they put on your case can help you determine your scope of work with them and also make or break their trust in you.
7. Ask for Testimonials
Every law firm you get in touch with will have great things to say about their skills, client care, and professionalism. However, trusting these aspects based on their self-image may not be the wisest decision.
It is always a good idea to ask the law firm you are considering to work with to provide you with client testimonials. This way, you can achieve confidence and peace of mind while working with that law firm.
