If you need a specific location lawyer for a personal injury case (For example, if you have an accident in Louisville, you’ll want a Louisville personal injury lawyer), you must make sure that you pick a reputable one. You can look into a lawyer’s reputation in various ways. Once you have found the right one, you can feel sure you have the best chance to win.
There are several questions to consider when choosing a personal injury lawyer. We will go over the most pressing ones in the following article.
Have You Taken On Any Cases Like Mine Before?
First, you should make sure the attorney you pick has taken on cases like yours before. If you’re suing a person or entity that harmed you, ask the lawyer whether they’ve ever done a personal injury case with the same characteristics yours has.
If you’re suing someone because their dog bit you, has your lawyer ever taken on such a case before? If you’re suing a corporation because of a faulty product that harmed you, have they had experience with that sort of case? No matter the circumstances, ask whether the attorney ever specifically handled that format before.
If So, Did You Win?
If the attorney took on cases like yours in the past, did they win that case? If they did not, have they at least won more cases like yours than they’ve lost?
If the attorney has accepted some high-profile cases in the past but they’ve come out on the losing end every time, that’s probably a bad sign. You want a lawyer who can help you win, not just one who’s nice and with whom you can establish a rapport.
Do You Have Time to Focus on My Case Right Now?
Maybe you feel like you have found the right lawyer. They seem competent, and they’ve won many cases like yours. You should still ask them whether they have time to dedicate to your case, though.
Sometimes, a lawyer has many demands on their time. Perhaps they’re knee-deep in some other case or maybe even several other cases. If this lawyer or firm has an excellent industry reputation, maybe they have all the clients they can handle right now. If so, you must find another law firm or lawyer who can represent you.
You need a lawyer who can give your case the time and attention it deserves. If they feel rushed, they might miss something crucial that can lose your lawsuit.
Do You Have Experienced Investigators on the Payroll?
Ideally, you want a lawyer or law firm with some top-notch investigators on their payroll. If they have these individuals working for them, they can put them to work the moment they take your case.
These investigators might look for video evidence of the incident. They could find a police report or a doctor’s report that corroborates your story of what happened. If the law firm you’re using doesn’t have these investigators, you’re at a disadvantage. The best firms have them, so you can judge their credibility by how they answer this question.
How Long Do You Anticipate the Case Will Take?
If the lawyer or firm says that they will take your case, you should next ask them how long they think it will take to conclude. They might not give you an exact answer, but they should at least give you a ballpark estimate.
If you don’t know how long the lawsuit might take to play out in court, you don’t know how long you can expect to miss work. You might end up missing weeks or even months.
If that could happen, you should tell your boss about it. They probably already know about the injury you sustained or the illness you contracted. They should have some idea of how long you’ll remain out while the legal system handles your personal injury lawsuit.
How Do You Charge?
Next, you should figure out how the lawyer or firm charges. You probably don’t want an attorney who charges you an hourly rate or an upfront fee.
Hourly rates and upfront fees work well with some lawyers, but not if you’re the plaintiff in a personal injury case. In such instances, you want a contingency payment plan if at all possible. This plan means you pay your lawyer nothing if they can’t win your case.
If they do win, ask how much they get. They might get anywhere from 30-40%, on average. That might seem high, but keep in mind what you’re getting for that money. You’re getting their legal expertise, their investigators, and the peace of mind that you’re in the best possible hands.
Can You Get the Other Party to Settle Out of Court?
You might also ask the lawyer, once you give them all the evidence and you’ve told them your story, whether they think they can get the other party to settle out of court. They might not know the definitive answer, but they can at least hazard a guess.
If they see that you have plenty of evidence that supports your story, including things like video evidence of the accident or incident, police reports, and so on, they might feel it’s likely the other side will settle. They can’t ever know exactly what a defendant might do, but they might draw on their personal experience and say they think it’s likely.
Once you’ve asked all these questions, if the attorney gave you satisfactory answers, then you can move forward and hire them. After that happens, they can instruct you on what to do next.
If you don’t feel you can trust a particular lawyer, don’t hire them. You needn’t become lifelong friends, but you should at least feel that they’re working with your best interest in mind.
Don’t feel like this choice doesn’t matter. Some lawyers have more practical experience with these lawsuits, and others less so. If a lawyer just passed the bar and they’re getting into personal injury law, you probably shouldn’t hire them. You want someone more experienced.
