If a person has been harmed or neglected, a personal injury lawyer is sought after. Personal injury cases include car accidents, motorcycle accidents, nursing home abuse, and other types of tort or negligence.
It’s important to choose a legal representative who has experience and expertise in handling your case. Take the initial interview, which is usually free of charge, as a chance to assess a prospective personal injury lawyer.
Below are some questions you need to ask when hiring a personal injury attorney:
What’s Your Area of Specialization?
This question enables you to assess the personal injury lawyer’s level of experience. Personal injury law is a broad and complex aspect of law. That’s why you need to choose someone who’s specialized in handling the type of personal injury case you’re facing at the moment.
You have to choose a trusted, dependable, and experienced personal injury lawyer with foolproof credentials, like Greene, Reid & Pomeroy.
The different areas of specialization of personal injury law include the following:
● Medical Malpractice: Choose a medical malpractice lawyer if you believe that you or your loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice. One example is an incorrect surgical procedure that results in infection, other complications, or even death.
● Car Accidents: A personal injury lawyer should be sought if you’ve been involved in a car crash. A car accident lawyer would know all the ins and outs of traffic regulations and local laws affecting collision, road, or traffic accidents.
● Animal Bites: Sometimes, dogs escape their owners and become astray, which may lead to biting other people. If you’ve been bitten by a dog or any rabid animal, you can file a personal injury case for compensation, too.
● Slip and Fall: A worker’s compensation lawyer is the best person to go if you’re dealing with a workplace accident, wherein the employer or the insurance company fails to provide just compensation for your damages.
What’s the Best Resolution for My Case?
In most cases, only a small portion of personal injury cases go to trial. Usually, personal injury claims result in an out-of-court settlement.
Most personal injury attorneys will tell you that the verdicts of the jury are unpredictable. However, an expert lawyer knows the general patterns of compensating victims of personal injuries and will make negotiations with car insurance companies and other significant people who can influence or help with your case.
Here are the factors that a personal injury lawyer will check when setting the “value” or amount of compensation you deserve:
● Injuries: The nature, extent, and severity of your physical injuries have the most impact on the amount of maximum compensation you can get. Expect a higher amount for more serious injuries.
A higher settlement award will be given if the injuries will result in long-term or permanent disability because it affects your earning potential.
● Insurance Limits: Because of insurance policy limits, insurance companies can keep their settlement offers low. Even if your case needs a higher amount of compensation, the insurance coverage will affect the settlement.
Note: The amount you can get from court awards or settlements in most personal injury cases range between $3,000 to $75,000.
How Will You Be Paid for Your Legal Services?
Most personal injury attorneys don’t bill their clients an hourly fee. A number of personal injury lawyers usually get paid on a contingency basis. It means that once a client wins the case or agreed to a settlement, that’s the only time the lawyer gets paid.
Usually, a personal injury lawyer’s percentage is about 33 to 40 percent of the total amount of compensation. Also, some lawyers agree to an hourly rate of about $125 to $250 per hour, excluding expenses.
Once you get the chance to talk to your lawyer, ask this question straightforwardly. Don’t hesitate to ask all the details of paying a lawyer for his services, such as applicable charges, fees, and paperwork or documentation expenses. In that way, you’ll have peace of mind when it comes to money or financial matters concerning hiring a personal injury lawyer.
Conclusion
By asking the interview questions mentioned above, you’ll be guided accordingly in choosing the best personal injury lawyer to handle your case.
Considering the lawyer’s experience, area of expertise in personal injury law, and assessing the likelihood of success in obtaining a higher compensation value, will give you peace of mind that someone will fight for your rights and your best interests concerning the personal injury case you’re facing at the moment.
