Do you know there were more than 48 million preventable injuries reported in 2019 in the US? These accidents involved car accidents, animal bites, medical malpractice, workplace accident, and more.
If you are a victim of such an accident, consider hiring a skilled personal injury attorney.
Being involved in any kind of accident is mentally and physically debilitating. Worse if the accident resulted from negligent and reckless actions of another party. It can bring a lot of suffering and huge financial burdens to you and your family.
If injured or suffered damages due to careless actions of the at-fault party, you might be entitled to compensation. Filing a personal injury claim will help you get compensated for all the suffering and damages from the accident.
When thinking of filing a personal injury claim, a personal injury attorney is all-important. A reputable attorney will offer the much-needed legal advice about your rights and available legal remedies.
But do you know the wrong choice of an attorney only adds insult to the injury? If you are wondering how to choose the best personal injury attorney, here are 9 key questions to ask a lawyer before hiring them.
1. How Much Is Your Fee?
Before choosing the potential attorney, inquire about how much they charge for their legal services. But do you know the most reputable attorneys don’t charge you upfront?
Most reputable personal injury attorneys will operate on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t have to pay a dime until they win compensation for you.
In this arrangement, the Brooklyn injury lawyer will only take a pre-agreed amount, a percentage of the awarded compensation. Experience lawyers that have been around the block will charge you after they win, this typically will be around 33-40%. Any attornies charging you less than this range means they are probably new or don’t have experience. A good personal injury attorney knows his worth and can get you a settlement that can be multiple times higher, compared to an inexperienced attorney.
If an attorney asks for partial or full payment upfront, find a better alternative. This indicates they are not confident about winning the case.
2. How Long Have You Been in Practice?
In any legal matter, including a personal injury claim, experience is vital.
You should hire a highly experienced personal injury attorney for your case. The attorney knows the best practices as well as the dos and don’ts in personal injury cases.
Consider inquiring about the results of their recent cases. Note, it’s illegal for an attorney to share client data but they can walk you through the process of past wins. A good attorney is proud of their work, and they won’t hesitate to provide this workflow information.
Also, check on their success rate and the categories they use to win as compensation. Does your preferred compensation fall within their claims range? For example, a good attorney will take into account your pain & suffering, lost time from work, life changes, medical bills, and more.
Ensure they have won considerable amounts in their previous claims. This way, you can be assured of a successful claim.
3. What Issues Do You See in My Case?
Keep in mind; every personal injury claim is unique. There will be some difficulties or details specific to your case. A skilled Brooklyn personal injury lawyer will identify these issues and come up with a winning strategy. They will also talk to you personally to understand your concerns.
Does the attorney tell you the case will be poor? If so, it’s a red light; shun them completely. Here, it’s either they aren’t honest with you or don’t understand your case at all.
4. What Is the Value of My Claim?
Having dealt with similar cases before, a reputable attorney will accurately estimate your claim’s value.
They will monetize your injuries and consequential suffering to come up with a fair compensation figure. This will incorporate lost wages, medical bills, pain, and lost quality of life.
5. Do I Have a Case?
Without a legal background, it isn’t easy to understand your case. After listening to your story, the attorney can advise whether you can file for a claim or not.
You don’t want to waste time on a claim that has minimal or no chances of winning, do you?
They also advise about any evidence, witness, or details that could help build up the case.
6. What Happens if My Case Goes to Trial?
If no fair settlement is agreed upon with the insurance company, the case will proceed to a court of law. Here, you want to know whether the attorney will still represent your interests during the trial.
If the attorney won’t take you to trial, avoid them. They might end up compelling you to accept lowball compensation to avoid going to a trial.
7. How Long Will My Case Take to Resolve?
Even though the attorney can’t tell the specific time frame your claim resolution will take, they have a rough idea. If you have sustained injuries or damages, the case is likely to take longer.
Also, check whether the attorney will be available to you during the entire period.
8. Which Personal Injury Attorney Will Handle My Claim?
When dealing with a law firm, you want to know the specific attorney who will help you with the case. Some firms will designate senior partners to deal with client interviews and consultations. Through this, they aim to make potential clients feel more confident about the firm’s aptness in their case.
However, after signing the contract with them, tables will turn. You get designated an attorney with whom you have not had a personal connection.
It’s always in your best interest to deal with the attorney who will handle your claim from the start.
8. Once The Claim is Settled, How Long To Get My Check?
When dealing with law firms; larger law firms are very bureaucratic with settlement to payout going into months (3-6 months), this can be a show stopper. The quicker you can get paid the better, good firms make payments within 1 month of settlement and insurance disbursement. So make sure to understand this process.
Use the Above Questions When Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
Being involved in an accident is a traumatizing experience for everyone involved. However, a reputable personal injury attorney will help you get the deserved justice and compensation.
Are you looking for a personal injury attorney in Brooklyn? At Mitchell Ozeri, we are here to help. We are a results-driven personal injury law firm committed to offering clients aggressive legal representation to help win personal injury claims.
Contact us today to get a free consultation for your personal injury claim.
