Being in a car accident can be overwhelming and you shouldn’t have to navigate this difficult process on your own. The first step in this process is finding an excellent traffic accident lawyer. You need to know what kinds of questions to ask a car accident attorney so you can ensure you have the right representation for your case. This article takes a look at a few important questions to ask a car accident attorney.
Experience
When you meet with potential legal representation, it’s important to understand their experience with cases similar to yours. You can start by asking how long they’ve been in personal injury law, and go into further in-depth questions like:
- Do you represent only auto accident victims or other types of legal work?
- How many personal injury cases do you take each year?
- How frequently have you handled cases like mine
- Which law school did you attend?
- Do you belong to any professional organizations?
With 3,154 people being killed and 424,000 people being injured in motor vehicle accidents involving a distracted driver in 2013, any attorney you meet with should have plenty of experience in handling vehicle accident cases.
Assessment
After understanding a little more about their background and experience, you should then take some time to describe your accident, along with any associated injuries. Then you should begin asking the lawyer their opinion of your case, including questions like:
- What kind of financial settlement can I expect to receive?
- What factors will work in our favor or against us?
- Do you think I’ll have to go to trial?
- Is mediation an option?
Legal Fees
Once you have a good feeling about how this attorney could potentially handle your case, it’s time to get into the estimated cost of your case. With that in mind, you should find out if they charge a contingency fee or an hourly rate, if they charge a retainer fee, and if there are any other expenses you’ll have to pay.
Final Decision
As the meeting finishes up, you should ask the lawyer if there is anything important you didn’t ask about or discuss. You can also ask for references from previous clients if you want to fully understand their experience in past cases. Additionally, take notes on what you liked and didn’t like about the attorney. In the end, while there are a number of questions to ask a personal injury lawyer, it really comes down to how well you believe the attorney will handle you case.