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The American Bar Association estimates that there are 1.3 million active lawyers in the United States. Personal injury lawyers account for 7% of these lawyers. Car accident attorneys are among these personal injury lawyers who handle accident-related cases.
The United States witnesses more than 5.2 million car-related accidents every year. With such high rates of crashes, having an accident attorney on your speed dial can be useful. However, making the decision on the best attorney in case of an accident may require that you adopt an inquisitive approach.
After the trauma of a car accident, you need to hire the best car accident attorney for you.
Ask these nine questions when hiring a car accident attorney.
1. What Are Your Charges, and How Are They Structured?
This is an important place to begin your potential relationship with the lawyer. Attorneys use varying standards to determine their charges. The determination of legal fees should include even those costs that may seem mundane such as photocopying and postage.
You may also need to understand the structure that the lawyer adopts. Contingency basis, for instance, requires that you pay the lawyer a certain percentage of the total settlement after winning the case.
Ensure you choose a Mobile, AL auto accident attorney with friendly charges and flexible payment structures as you seek a legal reprieve.
2. Asking the Question, “Why Should I Hire You?” Is Important When Hiring a Car Accident Attorney
This may seem cliché but it will help you know your potential attorney’s background. You probably have made your due diligence through online searches and referrals. Nonetheless, listening to your attorney expounding on this question will help you evaluate his strengths and abilities.
The question allows you to understand the attorney’s past success. The lawyer will need to do a good job convincing you that they are capable of delivering a successful lawsuit. A satisfactory answer that is in tandem with the internet information or referrals can help boost your confidence in the lawyer.
3. Which Law School Did You Attend, and What Was the Exact Period of Pupilage?
A country that has more than 1.3 million lawyers will certainly have imposters. Now, you do not want to end up being conned as you seek legal help. Requiring an answer to this question will satisfy your curiosity about the lawyer’s qualification.
You will also be able to assess such a lawyer’s certification as a practicing attorney. This is an important part of due diligence before deciding on a possible engagement.
4. How Long Have You Been in the Practice?
Just like fine wine, lawyers are more seasoned over time. This query can help you eliminate the risk of dealing with a novice. While everyone begins somewhere, an accident-related settlement has high stakes.
This means that being inquisitive about the accident attorney’s experience is an important prerequisite before hiring. The longer the lawyer has been in active practice the greater the chance of favorable ruling.
The best lawyer for a car accident is the one with a long history of the practice.
5. On Average, How Many Cases Similar to Mine Have You Handled in the Past?
An honest lawyer will tell you that legal representation applies on a case-to-case basis. This means that each specific case presents unique dynamics. However, it is important to deal with an attorney who has a reputable history of success in handling cases similar to yours.
The approach allows you to evaluate the number of successful verdicts in similar cases in the past. This can be a benchmark against which to gauge the possible success rate in your case. This is among the most important questions to ask a car accident attorney.
6. On Average How Many Cases Do You Have Under You at a Time?
This question is perhaps the most important when dealing with a personal accident lawyer. Brilliant lawyers with a record of success often have their plates full with pending cases.
While hiring a brilliant lawyer is a plus, you also do not want your case to drag on for long due to a backlog of work.
You need to entrust your case with a personal accident attorney who has the time to file and follow up on your case. Your personal accident attorney needs to disclose the number of cases under litigation. This information helps you in determining the tentative period of litigation for your case.
7. What Are the Strengths and Weaknesses in My Case?
This is an important conversation between you and your potential personal accident attorney. You want to deal with an individual who appreciates the chances of success in your specific case. You also want an objective reason why your case is watertight.
This boosts your overall confidence in the case. Conversely, you do not want your personal accident lawyer to give you reasons why your case was not successful after losing the case. Under such circumstances, the sooner is always the better.
Such an honest evaluation makes it possible for you to make a determination on whether the case is worth it.
8. How Do You Intend to Communicate the Case’s Progress?
While you do not except daily reports on the progress of the case, you also do not want a deafening silence on the same. You may be busy making a living, which makes it hard to follow up on the case, as you would anticipate.
That is why you need a personal injury attorney.
Picking up phone calls or responding to emails are some of the reassurances you may need to form the basis for the choice of your personal accident lawyer.
How this potential lawyer responds to queries during the initial stages of engagement is enough to show you the kind of relationship you may endure.
9. How Long Will My Case Take?
Your personal lawyer may not have a concrete answer in your expected time span. However, the commitment to ensure a speedy process can be a critical element in the process of hiring.
Your lawyer’s commitment to follow up on the case at the appointed time may prompt them to offer a more precise time span.
If you are looking for car accident attorney in mobile AL, then look no further, you have the choice of the best legal advisors near you. The reviews are self-justifying.
Hiring a Car Accident Attorney May Require You to Implore Your Probing Skills
The next time you are in need of a personal injury attorney, asking the right questions will save you the burden of dealing with rogue lawyers. You may be dealing with trauma after an accident. However, when hiring a car accident attorney it’s important for you to pull yourself together and ask hard questions for the sake of ensuring due diligence.
Are you looking for trusted legal advisors? Schedule a free case assessment today.