Questions to Consider Asking a Personal Injury Attorney
If you or your loved one has been injured in an accident, securing compensation for your losses and injuries is probably weighing heavily on your mind. It isn’t always easy to secure the compensation, and that’s where a personal injury attorney comes in. They will represent your interests in any settlement negotiations and make sure that your rights are protected.
But knowing which attorney to choose can be daunting. Your attorney is someone that you will be working with closely and you need to feel comfortable enough that you can trust them to represent and advise you. Before choosing an attorney to represent you, there are a few questions you might want to consider asking any potential choices:
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What are your fees? Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will not be required to pay a fee unless they recover monetary damages for you in your lawsuit. Out of the monetary damages, most personal injury attorneys will take a percentage of the award; typically 25 to 40 percent.
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What case-related costs will I be responsible for if I lose my case? If you lose your case, some attorneys will charge you for these out-of-pocket costs. Some attorneys will charge you these fees in addition to the contingency fee. Ask your attorney who will be responsible for these fees.
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Have you tried any personal injury cases similar to mine? Never assume that a personal injury attorney can handle a case like yours without asking. There are a variety of kinds of personal injury cases and just because they handle one type of case doesn’t mean that they have handled cases like yours.
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How much time will you devote to my case? Some attorneys will take on too many cases all at the same time. Ask them how much time they have to devote to your case. Stress to them that it is very important to you that they start working on your case right away and ask them when your case will be filed.
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How long will it take to resolve my case? While all personal injury cases are different, a potential attorney should be able to give you a rough estimate of how long it will take to resolve a case like yours. Be sure that the attorney you choose is committed to taking care of your case as quickly as possible.
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What is your success rate at trial? Be cautious of attorneys that tell you early on that your case will settle. An experienced personal injury attorney should be prepared to take every case to trial. This will help you ensure that you get the most fair settlement possible, and if your case does go to trial, you want to be sure that your attorney has won cases in front of a jury.
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What is my case worth? Although each case is different, your attorney should be able to give you a rough estimate of how much your case is worth. Do your research and use your judgement to evaluate an attorney’s claims. If they give you an estimate that seems unrealistic, be wary.
Choose an Experienced Personal Attorney
While these questions are just a sample of questions to consider when hiring an attorney, they will give you a good basis to start with. Choosing a personal injury attorney is important and you need to be certain you make an informed decision. The Florida attorneys at Leifer & Ramirez have decades of experience handling a variety of personal injury cases and would be happy to answer any questions you have. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
