No one expects to need a personal injury lawyer. Individuals who find themselves injured due to someone else’s negligence are often faced with the need for representation and counsel, but don’t know where to turn. It can be difficult to know who to trust with personal injury case. The question becomes, how do you select the right counsel to meet your needs? Consider the following criteria when interviewing a personal injury lawyer.
Track record of success
One of the most important criteria in hiring a personal injury lawyer to ensure they have a track record of success. Ask your personal injury lawyer about his experience in similar cases and the settlement amounts attained. Personal injury cases that involve lost work time and pain and suffering should have settlements that reflect the significant losses that the client sustained. You may want to ask the personal injury attorney about the number of years they have practiced and the number of cases similar to yours that they have represented. It’s important to ask if your personal injury attorney has successful trial experience; while most personal injury claims end in settlement, it’s a good idea to hire an attorney who has successfully represented clients at trial, in case a pre-trial settlement is not able to be reached.
Client reviews
Client reviews often provide telling feedback about an experience working with a personal injury lawyer. These insights can be helpful in providing a direct insight into the experience of working with a particular attorney. Feedback often includes details about communication, satisfaction with settlements obtained, and customer service. Client testimonials on a lawyer’s website can be helpful; however, most have been hand-picked by the law firm for their positive feedback. Google reviews are an additional option for seeking client feedback regarding their experience with a personal injury lawyer.
Fee Schedule
It’s important to inquire about the fee schedule for a personal injury lawyer. Almost all personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee. This means that there are no out of pocket costs, and the payment is a percentage of the compensation that is obtained. Most contingency fees range from between 33-40% of the settlement obtained, and can be as high as 60%. The fee is related to the amount of risk involved for the law firm and anticipated time and expense associated with the case. If a settlement is reached prior to initiating a lawsuit, the costs will be lower than if a lawsuit is initiated. Expenses related to the case are deducted from the client’s portion of the settlement. These costs may include medical records, police reports, expert witness fees and court filing fees.
If you have been hurt due to someone else’s negligence, it’s important that you take the first step and hire a personal injury lawyer to pursue fair compensation for your physical injuries, pain, and suffering.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.