Asking questions during the initial call or meeting is the best way to make sure that you learn a little bit about the accident attorney who you intend to hire. The most important thing to come away with is a level of comfort and trust in your personal injury attorney. Without trust, the relationship will not work.
Some questions you should ask:
Do you have any experience handling cases like this?
You want to be sure that the personal injury attorney has seen this type of case before. It is important to have experience with similar fact patterns so that potential issues can be addressed before they arise, not after.
Also, an accident lawyer who has handled similar cases may have experience with the insurance adjusters or the attorneys on the other side. Sometimes those relationships allow the case to be moved a little faster and smoother.
Who is going to handle my case?
Who in your office will be assigned to my case? Will it be a paralegal? Will it be an attorney? Will it be a team of people? The reason for that is because you want to have a constant point of contact. You want your attorney and his/her team to be informed and up to date with respect to your recovery. Also as a client, you want to be kept to date as to the case status.
How will the attorney get paid?
Attorneys who handle these types of cases are generally paid on a contingency basis. If you’ve never dealt with this type of arrangement, you should have it explained. Potential clients should also know what to expect regarding expenses. It is beneficial for both sides to explore these issues at the outset.
Many people will want to know “How long is my case going to take?” or “How much am I going to get?” The truth of the matter is that any personal injury lawyer who is worth their salt is not going to be able to answer that question because on day one, when you’re signing a case up, you’re just unable to really forecast the future. And it’s best not to guess.
