After being injured in an accident, there are likely a lot of thoughts swirling around in your head. One of these thoughts might be whether or not you need to contact a personal injury attorney. A quick internet search of personal injury attorneys brings up a ton of attorneys in your area. You might be tempted to pick the first one you find and hope for the best. However, this is not the best way to hire the right attorney. You need an attorney who you can trust to see your case through to the end, especially in a personal injury case. While a potential attorney will be asking you questions about your injury during your initial consultation, you must also ask questions of any potential attorney.
Here are a few questions that are important to ask your potential personal injury attorney.
What areas of the law do you practice?
First and foremost, you need to be sure that an attorney has the experience in the area of law in which you are seeking help. An attorney with prior experience with personal injury cases will be invaluable to your case. You can also inquire about the types of personal injury cases the attorney has handled. Personal injury can encompass a wide variety of topics. No two cases are ever exactly the same, but experience with similar types of cases can be helpful.
What is your caseload?
It is naïve to think that an attorney will only be working on one case at a time. Attorneys are often representing multiple clients at the same time, but you want to be sure that an attorney is not too busy to give your case the appropriate amount of attention. Attorneys in the same office can work on cases at the same time, along with the help of their support staff, like paralegals and law clerks. Inquire about who will be handling your case and whether there is enough time, and staff, to give your case the best chance at success.
How many cases have you taken to trial?
Not every case that is filed goes to trial. In fact, the majority of cases today are settled before they even make it to trial. Regardless of this statistic, it is important to know that your attorney is able to handle your case, should it go all the way to trial. Experience in a courtroom can add the confidence and skill needed to be successful in a personal injury case.
What is the fee for representation?
Most personal injury cases are based on a contingency fee. This means that you are not responsible for costs upfront, or as the case progresses. Instead, you and your attorney will come to an agreement that states the attorney will take a certain percentage of the award in your case. It is important to ask about the contingency agreement and whether this is the type of agreement the attorney typically makes.
The above are not the only questions that should be asked to a potential personal injury attorney. Instead, they are a guide to get the conversation started. The personal injury attorneys at Greg Baker Attorneys at Law, PLLC are here to help you with your personal injury needs. We pride ourselves on being hometown lawyers for hometown people. We want to be sure that the attorney client relationship is right for both parties.
Contact us today for a free consultation.