6 Important Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer

Published on: 19 July 2018 Last Updated on: 22 June 2021

The worst has happened. You got injured on the job, or your spouse hurt you in a fight.

Something happened to you while you were at the dentist, or you had a severe reaction to a latte.

Regardless, health care is expensive. There’s a chance that you’re not able to cover the bill.

You start wondering if there’s some other way to pay for your medical expenses. You talk to your company or ask for compensation. But no one is willing to do anything.

If this sounds like you or someone you love, it’s time to consider legal action. You can contact a personal injury lawyer who will help you get what you deserve.

But before you hire anyone, check out our six questions to ask a personal injury lawyer.

Why Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Sometimes we get hurt, and it’s because of our own stupidity. But there are times when the blame rests on another party. This can be an individual, a company, or even a doctor. When this happens, it’s time to hire a personal injury lawyer.

There are many different kinds of lawyers who can help you. Choosing the right one depends on the personal injury questions you have.

Most personal injury lawyers can handle a car crash case. But what happens if there are many parties involved or if there is severe damage? You’ll need a lawyer with more experience in your type of case.

If a doctor injured you, then hire a lawyer with experience in medical malpractice. At least they need to know about medical procedures and misdiagnoses.

If you got hurt by a piece of machinery, then look for a lawyer with a background in corporate and negligence law.

Do some research into the nature of your case. That way you’ll be able to find the right personal injury lawyer for your needs.

What Information Do I Need Before I Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Keep in mind that scheduling a consultation with a lawyer is not the same as hiring them. You’re asking them in-depth questions about their background and career. You’d do the same for any contractor or real estate agent.

But before you sit down with a lawyer, it will help you to have a few things prepared.

First, you’ll need to record the details of your case. Write down everything that’s related to what happened. Describe the events in the order they happened, and be as detailed as possible.

If you need help, think of the 4 W’s. Who was involved? Where did the accident happen? When did it take place? What were you doing? In fact, what was everyone doing?

Try to be as factual as possible. If you lie, it will come out in court. Then you’ll be in trouble.

Gather any evidence you can. This includes things like:

Police reports, tickets, arrest information, and toxicology results
Eye-witness reports
Photographs and videos
Bills, receipts, medical records, and any diagnoses

Getting all this information in one folder will help you and the personal injury lawyer.

6 Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer

Hiring a lawyer is as personal as hiring a doctor or a therapist. It’s an expensive service, and you want to make sure you have the right lawyer for you. So check out our six questions to ask a personal injury lawyer before you hire them.

1. Have You Taken a Case Like Mine Before?

This is one of the most important questions to ask an attorney before hiring them. You want to make sure your case is in good hands, so don’t be afraid to ask about their experience.

Your lawyer should have years of experience working with cases like yours. It’s also important that they have experience winning cases, or making successful settlements.

Ask them for a reference list of all their cases. They should also have endorsements from past clients.

If your internal radar goes off, you can look up an attorney’s disciplinary records online. Some states need a lawyer’s bar number to do this. But other states like Georgia will list the lawyer’s name.

2. What is Your Opinion of My Case?

In other words, does this personal injury attorney think you’ll win?

This is one of the more dubious questions to ask a personal injury lawyer, but it’s an essential one. Their answer will help you make your decision about whether to hire this attorney.

You want them to give you an honest answer, of course. No decent lawyer wants to waste their time on a hopeless case, even if you are paying them.

They should give you an objective opinion about whether you’ll win your case based on the evidence you’ve given them.

That said, ask this question with an open mind. It’s easy for the victim of an accident to think they deserve compensation. If a personal injury lawyer is telling you it won’t happen, there might be some merit in that.

3. Will My Case Go to Trial?

Only 4%-5% of personal injury cases go to trial. That means there’s a good chance your case will settle out of court.

But no matter what the odds, a good personal injury lawyer will prepare to go to trial. In fact, it’s a red flag if the lawyer starts talking about settling out of court from the get-go.

Trials can be long and expensive for you. But if you have to go to court you want a lawyer who’s experienced. Ask them about their record in court, and whether the case won by a judge or jury.

Your lawyer should also be able to give you a timeline of how long a court proceeding takes.

While each case is unique, an experienced lawyer knows how things go at the local courthouse.

Regardless of whether you go to court, you need to talk with your lawyer about your level of involvement. Some people want to be at every meeting and deposition, but most lawyers won’t allow it. It’s often best for you to stay on the sidelines and trust your lawyer.

4. What are Your Fees?

This is another important question to ask an attorney. If you can’t afford this lawyer, then you’ll need to look for someone else.

A typical personal injury lawyer earns money based on contingency fees. That means you won’t pay any fees unless you win money damages in the lawsuit.

Once you do win the case, the personal injury lawyer will take a percentage of the money. This can range from 25% – 40% of anything you win from the lawsuit.

While this is a great incentive for your lawyer to win your case, it might not be the only bill. There are other costs you should ask about, like case-related costs. These are also known as “out of pocket” fees. Ask your lawyer about these fees, and who will pay them in case you lose.

Do not work with a personal injury lawyer who charges by the hour. These kinds of payment plans can get expensive in personal injury cases.

5. How Much is My Case Worth?

An experienced personal injury lawyer should give you an estimate on how much your case is worth. They’ll base this estimate on cases they’ve already won or worked on.

Most personal injury lawyers won’t give you a hard number to work with, but instead give you some kind of range. They need to explain how the different factors in your case will affect the bottom line.

You can also ask them point-blank whether they’ll make more for you than their competitors.

After all, this isn’t only about getting justice for you. It’s also about who’s going to pay your medical bills.

Money is always hard to talk about, but you have to do it. You can discover more about discussing your case worth by doing some research. Make sure that you factor in the lawyer’s contingency fee when you talk about how much you can make.

6. Who is Handling My Case?

This question is vital if you’re working with a large law firm. This is because that lawyer you spent all that time getting to know? He might not be the one representing you in court.

This might help you because you’ll have a larger team working on your case. Lawyers all specialize in different things. If your case is a complicated one, there’s a good chance it’ll get passed around the firm.

But that’s why it’s important to know who is handling your case, and why. You want to know who you need to contact in each situation. You should also ask about the track record of every lawyer on your case.

If your lawyer has less experience than the one you spoke to, ask about who is supervising them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or voice your concerns.

Want More Tips About Hiring a Lawyer?

We have lots of informative blog posts on our site about the legal field. If you want to know about questions to ask a personal injury lawyer or other legal tips, check out our blog.

We also have articles on everything else you can imagine. From social media to entertainment to real estate, we have you covered. Take a look at our site for more great posts.

Read More:

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Pros & Cons Of Hiring A Worker’s Compensation Lawyer

As you are reading this article, we can assume that you or any of your close ones have encountered an injury at the workplace. If you encounter any accident and get any injury at work, you become eligible for worker's compensation. This program is particularly designed for offering you financial support during the time when you are unable to work and also creating income. When you are filing worker’s compensation benefits, you might be going through a dilemma about whether you should hire a worker’s compensation lawyer or not. Here we must say that both of them have their own benefits and disadvantages. Here, in this article, we will talk about both the pros and cons of hiring a worker’s compensation lawyer for your worker’s compensation case. Pros Of Hiring A Worker’s Compensation Lawyer: In case you are thinking about hiring a worker’s compensation lawyer from the best Law Offices of William F. Underwood, III, P.C., You will be able to get the following benefits. 1. Puts An End To Your case In some cases, the worker’s compensation dispute might take several months or even years. This long duration will always invite more financial problems when you are already losing your wage and carrying a treatment cost. An experienced worker compensation lawyer will be able to handle things with their expertise, and the matter will get resolved efficiently. 2. Shortens The Wait We all are a little aware of the court system and also know how much time it consumes to resolve a matter if we follow the same traditional way without any legal agent or lawyer. As we have mentioned earlier, it will take a long time, especially in case your injury is more serious and you need a huge amount, as your employer’s insurance company will always want to delay the matter. Here, having a lawyer will ensure that you are getting fair compensation as soon as possible. 3. Allows A Lump Sum Payment Often judges feel hesitant when it comes to awarding a lump-sum amount of compensation at the trial. As per that, you might be limited to weekly or monthly payments for a period of a number of months or years. In case you are carrying any major medical treatment, it becomes really difficult to pay for it. On the other hand, when you hire a lawyer, the professional will be able to manage a settlement and get you a considerably huge amount. 4. Eliminates The Risk When you are thinking about an out-of-court settlement, it is really difficult to reach a settlement because both parties do not want to come to an agreement by making smaller compromises. In this case, a lawyer will be able to bring both parties together at a common ground and that too out of court. Because when you are appealing to the court, there will always be a risk that you might come out empty-handed. 5. A Better Negotiation During the settlement proceedings, an attorney can perform the negotiation on your behalf. The insurance company already has an attorney; when you are also hiring a legal professional, your worker’s compensation lawyer will be on equal footing with the other party. When the insurance company gets to know that you have a legal professional to represent you, they will be more willing to respect your rights. Cons Of Hiring A Worker’s Compensation Lawyer Now you know the advantages of hiring a worker’s compensation lawyer. But when you are thinking of hiring one, you also should know the drawbacks that you might be inviting in order to get the good things. So, here are the major disadvantages of hiring an attorney for your worker’s compensation claim. 1. Can Cause Give Up Your Right When you are thinking of hiring a lawyer and getting the amount that you have claimed and willing to take the matter to court, the insurance company does not agree to pay you that. In this case, ending the case with an out-of-court settlement means you are giving up on some particular benefits. There are a lot of insurance companies that come with a clause that when you are receiving a claimed compensation, you will not get worker’s compensation for the same injury. 2. Could Be Really Expensive. Hiring a lawyer means you need to pay them. In order to ensure winning your worker’s compensation claim lawsuit, you must opt for the best one or at least a good one. And good lawyers always charge more. Due to your injury, you are already paying a huge medical bill and also not getting paid enough as you are unable to work for a few days. In this situation affording a lawyer can cost you a lot of your savings, and you might run out of money. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) When you are going to deal with worker's compensation, it is obvious that you will have a lot of queries and doubts. In order to handle a legal matter, you also need to know the basic and adequate knowledge of the laws. So, here are some questions you might have in your head, along with their answers. Q1: What Are The Disadvantages Of Worker's Compensation? A serious disadvantage of worker’s compensation is that it might discourage the employees from pursuing further employment. Many individuals might feel that to continue getting worker’s compensation payment, they must obtain from working some specific jobs to prove the severity and seriousness of their injuries. To learn more, visit Employment law firm in Miami. Q2: What Are The Pros And Cons Of Worker's Compensation? The pros of Worker’s compensation are; No more litigation. The opportunity to revisit the settlement terms. In exchange for future benefits, recompense. Now let’s look at its cons of it. You might end up with less than you actually deserve. In the future reopening, a case might lead to a lower award. Q3: What Is The Highest Workmans Comp Settlement? Till now, the largest worker’s compensation settlement payment is a $10 million settlement agreement. The case came in March of 2017. Read Also: Injured At Work? Claim Your Compensation! Can an Employee Claim for a Personal Injury When Working From Home?

How To Find Best Car Accident Lawyer Near You

An excellent lawyer can make the difference between winning a huge settlement and accepting a meager one. Car accident victims need an outstanding attorney to ease the burden of the lengthy legal process. You should look for someone who is trustworthy and who can assist you in attaining justice for the damages inflicted upon you. Here are a few tips to help you find the best car accident lawyer: 1. Look for Experts in Personal Injury Law: Personal injury law is complex so you should look for a lawyer who specializes in this particular field. Experts like the team at https://www.legacycaraccidentlawyers.com/ are familiar with the specific rules and practices in this civil lawsuit. They know that most car accidents are caused by negligence and will work hard to be a champion of your rights. Some traits that you should look for in a personal injury lawyer are: Trustworthiness – An exemplary attorney must be reliable enough for you to share all the details of your case, even the sensitive ones so that they can help you win. Compassion – The lawyer who you should work with must be able to empathize with you and understand how the car accident has drastically impaired your quality of life. Meticulous – You must search for a legal counsel who will thoroughly prepare your case before presenting it to the judge and jury. They must be knowledgeable about the medical terms and diagnoses regarding your injury. 3. Get Reliable Referrals: Obtain recommendations from people you trust, like family and friends. If they went through the same case as you, ask them who they turned to for help. Lawyer relatives and friends are also valuable sources of information since they have connections to people in the legal industry -- they know who can help you. Other referral sources include: Lawyer Referral Services – You can contact local firms that refer potential clients to State Bar-certified lawyers as a service. They will interview you about your case and match you with experts in that particular area. Client-Attorney Matching Services – They are different from the services above since you get to choose the lawyer that you want to work with through a bid. They bid in the form of consultations. Internet – Browse online for attorneys who specialize in car accidents. Check online comments and reviews on their performance and how they interacted with previous clients. Legal Aid Agencies – Depending on the severity of your case and your income, you can look to free aid from organizations that offer legal services programs. 3. Check Their Track Record: Opt for an attorney who can courageously take your case to court if necessary. Some lawyers say they want to bring you justice, but won’t help you get a large settlement for the damages you acquired after a car accident. They expend little effort in fighting back against insurance companies who are persistent in offering you a pittance for your injuries. Look for someone who is passionate about fighting for your rights and have a proven history of winning verdicts and settlements. 4. Contact Their Previous Clients: An attorney who has nothing to hide will not be afraid when you ask them to contact their previous clients. If a car accident lawyer shows hesitation when you request to speak with people they’ve represented in the past, that’s a red flag. It means that they may not have done an outstanding job for those clients. 5. Conduct Lawyer Comparison Shopping: Just like buying gadgets, you compare the prices and specs of various devices before settling in for the one you’ll actually buy. The same way goes in looking for a remarkable car accident lawyer. Create a list of potential lawyers and ask them some questions concerning your case. Write down and assess their answers to help you decide on which attorney to work with. These are some questions you should ask potential lawyers: How many similar cases have you handled? When did you last handle a similar case? How did it turn out? Will you be the one representing me or will it be someone from your team? What is the estimated duration of this case? Do you work on an hourly rate or contingency basis? Have you ever been disciplined by legal or ethics committees before? Conclusion: Some attorneys want personal injury cases to be over and done, which means that they may pressure you to accept a meager compensation for damages. An excellent car accident lawyer would gauge the situation and know the amount you should be compensated for, which will cover your medical expenses and other costs. Read Also: Things About A Personal Injury Lawyer How To Choose A Personal Injury Lawyer What To Do When You’re Involved In A Car Accident In Albany

What Is Considered A Personal Injury?

A personal injury is an injury that a person receives while they are not at work and not in their workplace. Personal injuries can be caused by negligent actions and omissions, or negligent failures to take precautions, of those responsible for the safety of the injured party. A personal injury can also occur as a result of negligence on the part of another person or entity. A personal injury can occur when a person suffers bodily harm, mental suffering, psychological trauma, death, or another form of damage that can be considered a financial loss. Personal injuries are caused by several different things including motor vehicle accidents, slips, and falls, defective products, medical malpractice, boating accidents, dog bites, and property damage. A personal injury can cause you to incur expenses for medical care and other expenses related to the accident. The most common form of personal injury is when there is a car accident that causes physical injuries to a person or damage to their vehicle. This can also include damage to another person's vehicle or property as well. Recoverable Expenses in a Personal Injury Claim: Medical bills for treatment related to an injury, or for a condition caused by the accident, damages for lost wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other bodily injuries. These expenses can be estimated fairly accurately as they often witness medical records. Personal costs of living because of the accident such as loss of work due to injury or medical treatments including dental costs. An attorney can advise you on your rights, guide you through the legal system and work on your behalf to resolve the accident. The attorney will be able to help question witnesses and gather documents, photos, etc., that may be needed to prove that the accident was caused by someone else's negligence, and not yours. Determine Your Eligibility for a Personal Injury Claim: In order to receive benefits under the Workers' Compensation Act, or other federal or state laws, you must have first been injured as a direct result of the actions or negligence of another person. A situation that is considered an "industrial injury" is one in which you do not ordinarily find yourself working in the same type of industry that caused your injury. The injuries for which you are receiving compensation can be caused by any accident in which you were involved whether it be a car accident, dog bite, slip, fall, etc. The main factor that is considered in your eligibility for compensation is whether or not the injury was directly caused by the actions of another party. If a person's injuries are deemed to be an "industrial injury" they may not be able to receive compensation under workers' compensation. The parties that are responsible for the accident will still be held responsible for any personal injuries as well as property damage incurred or caused by the accident. An Accidental Injury Can Be Dangerous and Costly: There are many reasons why someone may want to file a personal injury claim. Whether you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, you may want to speak to an attorney about your rights and options. A personal injury attorney can help take some of the stress and worry out of dealing with insurance companies and ensure that your claim is processed correctly and fairly. Personal injuries can be very dangerous and expensive. A personal injury attorney can help guide you through the process and make sure that your rights are upheld. If you have been injured or know someone who has, a personal injury attorney can help you navigate the complexities of insurance companies and medical bills to get the compensation you deserve. Make sure that your rights are protected and get in touch with a personal injury attorney today to get started with your claim. The Benefits of a Personal Injury Lawyer: 1. A Personal Injury Lawyer can help you when you do not know where to start. Many people are fairly certain that they know the answers to their questions or that they are doing all they can to resolve the matter on their own. However, if a personal injury has been caused by someone else's actions, it is possible that an attorney can assist you in determining what your rights and legal rights are. 2. If you have been injured in an accident, a personal injury lawyer can help you understand your rights under the law, and how to defend those rights against those who may be responsible for your injuries. They can also help you make sure that the process of pursuing a claim is done correctly. 3. Personal injury cases are complex and can require a lot of time to resolve properly. A personal injury attorney can guide you through every aspect of your case so that it can be properly resolved as quickly as possible. 4. Personal injury cases can sometimes involve multiple parties who may be responsible for the accident. On top of dealing with insurance companies and medical bills, you may also have to deal with more than one party who is responsible for your injuries and their actions. An attorney can help you go after all parties that may be responsible for your injuries as quickly as possible so that you're able to recover compensation for what you've been through as quickly as possible. Conclusion: When you have been injured in an accident, the last thing you want to deal with is figuring out who is responsible for your injuries and how to resolve the issues related to your accident. You may be dealing with physical injuries, emotional injuries, and severe financial strain that makes it hard to see the way forward. A personal injury attorney can help you understand your rights under the law so that you can make sure that everything is done properly and fairly. Additional: Top 10 Colorado Springs Personal Injury Attorneys Red Flags To Avoid When Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer What Are The Effective Ways To Communicate With A Personal Injury Lawyer Filing A Personal Injury Lawsuit In South Carolina: Here Are 7 Things You Should Know

6 Important Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer

Why Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

What Information Do I Need Before I Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer?

6 Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer