If you have never felt the need to get in contact with a personal injury lawyer before, and you decide to call them, you don’t necessarily know what questions to ask to ensure that you are hiring the right personal injury lawyer.
Let us go over some of the questions that you should ask the lawyer before hiring them.
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Is the Consultation Free?
When you get on the phone with a personal injury lawyer, ask them about their consultation fees and whether they have any. Usually, the best lawyers or law firms don’t charge a consultation fee. However, there are some law firms that might have declared in big, bold letters on their platforms “free consultation,” it is still a good idea to be sure that the consultation is indeed free.
That said, the right personal injury lawyer will be happy to provide you with much-needed advice and direction.
Do You Have An Investigator?
The next question to ask the law firm or the lawyer is whether they have a team of investigators or an investigator they work with for their cases. It is important to mention here that personal injury cases are of all sorts and kinds, such as car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, etc.
A personal injury case can also include workplace injuries. The personal injury lawyer should ideally have their own team of investigators to dispatch to the accident site. The investigator can also meet you if you are too injured to see the lawyer in person.
Additionally, the investigator can also jump on the case right away. Depending on your case, a prompt investigation might be mandatory for its success.
What Does the Investigator Do?
In case you are wondering why you might need an investigator or why you need to be sure that you ensure the law firm has an investigator, the investigator is a skilled professional who will do meticulous things, such as finding witnesses and getting people to talk to them about what happened.
So, what the investigator will do is to perform a thorough investigation of the case and put the case in the best posture possible for success.
Are you Experienced in Dealing with Insurance Agents?
Now, if you have been in an accident and you have sustained injury due to another driver’s fault, you will most certainly be dealing with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. It is in your best interest to let an experienced lawyer handle the insurance agents as they understand the system and the tactics of those insurance adjusters so much better than you.
On that note, you must ensure that the lawyers are experienced with insurance. The lawyer should be familiar with insurance laws and how these apply to your case. With that, the lawyer will find all the insurance that is possibly available to you – whether it is the insurance for the responsible person or your own insurance can get involved.
The Benefit of Thoroughly Understanding Insurance
It would be a plus point if the law firm had an employee or staff member who explicitly understands the inner workings mechanisms of insurance companies. That staff member will come in handy as they will know how to speak the language of the insurance agents.
They will also know the details of how insurance companies operate and what the agents are essentially looking for at the time of evaluating a claim. The lawyer will then work very closely with their staff member so they can add that information to their presentation to the at-fault driver’s insurance company with the objective of leveraging a bigger settlement for you.
Have You Handled My Type Of Case Before?
Another very important question to ask your personal injury attorney is whether they have handled your type of case before. Now, the more years the law firm has, such as the Frost Law Firm, PC, there is a good chance that they might have handled many personal injury cases, including complex cases, such as workplace injuries where the employer has no worker’s comp plan for their employees.
Now, even if you find on the law firm’s website that they are dealing with your type of case, it is still in your best interest to ask and confirm so that you know that you and your attorney are on the same page.
If you have sustained a personal injury, it is in your best interest to get in touch with a personal injury lawyer instead of a general lawyer. The personal injury lawyer will have exclusive experience and a track record of representing injured people who sustained injuries due to someone else’s fault or negligence.
How Will You Keep Me Updated On My Case?
Another very important question to ask your personal injury lawyer is about how they plan to keep you informed about your case. While asking these questions, you can assess whether or not the lawyer and their staff are empathetic and understanding of what you have been through.
On that note, their being there for you is incredibly important. Only hire the lawyer if they can assure you that their staff is in touch with their clients on a regular basis and that their clients have access to their emails and phone numbers.
You should double-check whether the layer and their staff will make themselves very available to you and give you the attention that you and your case deserve.
Has Your Firm Received Any Rewards?
Lastly, it wouldn’t hurt to ask whether the law firm in question has received any awards for their work. There are many legal publications that will reward their different lawyers for their accomplishments. If all or some of the publications recognize the law firm, it definitely reflects the fact that they are doing a good job.
Study their website and read the testimonials. You can also ask the lawyer about their recent cases and how much the settlement was for these cases. Now, you might not get a number due to confidentiality issues, but asking still won’t hurt, as asking the right questions can define whether or not to hire a lawyer.
