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It is important to hire a personal injury lawyer that is capable of handling your case. Ask your potential attorney these 7 questions before hiring.
Did you know that over thirty-five million people go to the emergency room yearly for injury-related reasons? If you were recently injured at someone else's hands, you're likely considering a personal injury lawsuit.
For this, you will need a qualified personal injury lawyer. Unfortunately, finding a good lawyer in cities like Houston can be easier.
That's why we made this article. In it, we'll be going over seven questions you should ask your potential lawyer when you meet them for a consultation.
That way, you get a better sense of whether or not they're a good fit for your specific case. Let's get started!
It's not uncommon for some law firms to offer a wide variety of different practice areas. In fact, even within the personal injury category, there is a large range of different injuries. Just some of them include things like:
Hiring a Houston law firm that offers a variety of practice areas isn't necessarily a bad thing. But, you do want to make sure that they have adequate experience dealing with your specific type of injury.
Asking this question can give you a better idea of how frequently they work with your injury. The more they work with it, the better your chances are of winning.
The more experience your lawyer has, the more they'll know about the ins and outs of a personal injury lawsuit. This can be important because it's fairly uncommon for personal injury cases to go to trial.
Most of the time, they're settled outside of court. So, in the event that your case does go to the courtroom, it's possible that a young attorney might have little to no experience.
By going with a lawyer that has decades of experience, you'll be in better shape in the event that your case goes to trial.
After you hire a lawyer, it's quite common for senior attorneys to delegate a lot of the busy work with your case to junior associates. This is important because it will ultimately help keep your legal fees down at the end of the day.
Still, you want to make sure that the senior attorney is ultimately overlooking much of the work and handling any complicated issues that arise.
So, asking them how much time they will personally put into the case can give you a better idea of how involved they'll be.
If your lawyer is like most of the 833,100 professionals found in the United States, they'll likely charge a contingency fee. With this type of fee, your lawyer will only get paid if they win the case.
In the event that they do win, they'll take a percentage of whatever money your recover. Typically, this falls between 25% to 40% of anything that you recover.
Ask your lawyer what percentage they'll take in the event of a win. You should also clarify who will be responsible for other costs, like court filing fees, administrative fees, information-gathering fees, and witness fees.
Most of the time, your personal injury case will likely be settled out of court. Still, there is a small percentage that does go to trial. Asking your lawyer what the chances are of your case going to trial can give you a better idea of what to prepare for.
Also, even in the event that your case seems like a sure settlement, your lawyer should still be prepared for trial. No case is a sure thing, and a good lawyer is prepared for every possible situation.
Certain personal injury cases can be resolved in months. Others can be dragged out for years before a verdict is finally reached. Your lawyer won't be able to give a precise timeline.
But they should be able to provide you with a rough estimate based on past cases they've taken on.
Make sure that your lawyer is resolved to handle your case as quickly as possible. The longer you drag the case out, the more expensive it's going to be.
You want your lawyer to be as honest as possible about your chances of winning the case. Just don't be upset if they don't give you the answer you want to hear.
Remember to give your potential lawyer as much information about the case as you can. Don't hold anything back, or your lawyer won't be able to give an accurate assessment.
You can also ask them how much you might expect to win. This is fine, but you shouldn't expect a precise answer.
Any personal injury attorney that gives you a guaranteed amount is likely exaggerating to get you to take them on.
We hope this article helped you learn more about the questions you should be asking your personal injury lawyer before hiring them. Remember that you should think of your consultation as a two-way interview street.
If your Houston lawyer agrees to take your case on without hearing any details, it's clear they don't really care about it. So, ask as many questions as you can and give full details to your lawyer.
That way, you get answers that are as accurate as possible.
If you're looking for cutting-edge solutions to your personal injury case, you'll appreciate the law firm of Calhoun Meredith. Schedule a consultation today to find out if we're a good fit for your needs.