Imagine you are on your way to your routine job. However, midway to your office, you get into an accident, resulting in physical injuries or damages to your car. Or you may experience a fall at your company construction site since the responsible authorities failed to provide you and other workers with a safe environment. Or the worst-case scenario, you may have been a victim of medical malpractice. These are some of the common types of personal injuries.
Indeed, an accident can occur anywhere at any time, and you have the right to file a case against the negligent party. That is where hiring a professional personal injury attorney comes in handy for recovering your deserved compensation.
Have you suffered from a personal injury and wish to fight a legal case? For that instance, having an expert attorney by your side can prove to be beneficial. However, it is better to look for the one that can prove your claim in court and help you acquire fair compensation for your injuries and losses. Below are some of the primary factors you must consider before hiring an attorney for a personal injury claim:
Determine The Area Of Expertise
Undoubtedly, you don’t want to risk losing your case by hiring an attorney with no prior experience in personal injury cases. Therefore, you must choose an attorney that has a history of dealing with personal injury cases. It is because they are well-aware of the laws and know the best way to pursue your claim.
Furthermore, try to be more specific. For instance, you might get diagnosed with mesothelioma because of your company’s negligence in ensuring safety hazards, resulting in exposure to asbestos. In that case, consult a mesothelioma attorney who can hold the company accountable and help you with medical bills compensations.
Some lawyers usually take cases different from their area of expertise to get the hang of things or improve their practice in a new field. However, your claim isn’t a learning field for the hired attorney, so you must ensure taking help from an attorney that has handled personal injury cases before. That way, you don’t have to worry about their knowledge and skills.
Willingness To Go For Trial Cases
It is to note that many personal injuries claims get settled without even going to the trials. Mostly, both parties reach a settlement agreement. However, sometimes things don’t work out. Both parties are unable to resolve the dispute between them, resulting in a fair trial. So you need to ensure that the attorney you hire is ready to handle your trial case doesn’t lack experience. If a lawyer has little to no experience of trial cases, chances are the lawyer would settle for low compensation. Once again, the expertise of your personal injury attorney would come in handy in such a situation. For instance, if you’re hiring a Bicycle Accident Lawyer, you’d want to ensure that he/she can handle the case if it goes to trial. For this, you’d want to know if your attorney has previously handled any bicycle cases that go to trial. Moreover, if the opposed party or insurance company knows about it, it could be detrimental to your case. Don’t forget to ask about the number of law cases your attorney won in the personal injury area to determine their success ratio before hiring.
Don’t Forget To Ask About The Fee
One critical factor to consider before signing your agreement with the attorney includes fee structure and billing costs. It would help if you openly discussed the fee payment to avoid any confusion and trouble later on. Most personal injury attorneys work on cases on a contingency fee basis. That means the attorney won’t charge you any fee until recovering the fair compensation for your claim. Also, you must ensure asking your attorney whether they would charge you extra if the case goes to trial.
Moreover, it is also essential to discuss the costs before hiring and proceeding with your lawsuit. Some lawyers deduct the cost from the final settlement fee, while others prefer the initial cost. Usually, the charges vary from case to case. It can include witness fees, court fees, postage, document request charges, copy, and travel expense.
Make Sure Your Attorney Has A Good Personality
Another crucial aspect to take into account before hiring a personal injury attorney is their personality. You must ensure the attorney you hire has always practiced discipline inside and outside the court. If the lawyer has a history of suspension from practicing law, then you might need to reconsider your decision. Moreover, until the attorney resolves your case and helps you acquire the rightful compensation, you both need to have strong communication. So you must ensure that your attorney responds to your calls and emails attentively and keeps you updated. Professional attorneys must display active listening and analytical skills to pursue your case effectively.
Check Their Professional Network
Lastly, don’t overlook the factor of whether your hired attorney has a solid professional network. It is noteworthy that often personal injury cases require testimony from professional witnesses. These witnesses can be from various industries such as healthcare. Getting their testimonials can help bolster your case. So you must ensure by asking your attorney whether they have access to expert witnesses and how often they use them for their cases. Put it this way, the larger and stronger their network, the more your chances to win your lawsuit case. For instance, if you suffered from malpractice, your attorney must be able to call a medical professional who has sufficient knowledge and expertise and would testify your claim. Thus, having good relationships with professionals from different fields can ensure that your hired attorney has enough resources and an excellent reputation to handle the case effectively.
Final Thoughts
While you might be feeling hurt and anger because of the personal injury you suffered, you can’t just pick the first lawyer to represent you in court. Personal injury cases can be quite complex; therefore, take some time to conduct proper research before hiring the right attorney for your case. After all, only a professional attorney can help you obtain a full financial recovery for your injuries and losses. Moreover, don’t forget to conduct an interview and ask all your questions from your attorney before making the final hiring decision.