7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

Every year thousands of people die as a result of accidents, while many millions more sustain various degrees of injury. These accidents come with huge social costs, running into billions of dollars. These huge sums of money are paid out as damages to the victims or their families.

Damages are awarded to compensate victims for injuries. The following factors influence the number of damages awarded to a victim:

·         The level of pain and suffering

·         Loss of amenity

·         The severity of the injury itself

·         Loss of income/earnings

·         The basis of assessment etc.

Obviously, obtaining adequate compensation for your injuries is not an easy feat. To be entitled to any compensation, the victims will be expected to prove a series of facts. This is where the lawyer’s services come in handy, With the assistance of a qualified personal injury attorney, you can pursue your claim and get justice.

How to spot a professional injury attorney.

A good injury lawyer knows the law and possesses the requisite experience to represent the interest of clients. KFB Law is a good example of a reputable law firm; the injury attorneys in KFB Law are experienced in helping clients get justice.

But before you hire any personal injury lawyer, ensure that he or she is experienced in defending victims of accidents and injuries. One good way to measure, the level of experience is through asking the right questions.

In this article, we shall explore the seven most important questions every client must ask the injury attorney they intend to hire.

1.       How Much Are Your Fees

Some jurisdictions provide a scale of charges for lawyers. Even then, many lawyers prefer to charge based on the agreement they have with their clients.

Knowing the fees early on helps you plan better. While some lawyers prefer upfront payments, many others will be happy to be paid a percentage of the compensations recovered at the end of the day.

                                 

2.      Do I have any liability if I lose the claim?

Find out from your lawyer if you are liable to any charges apart from the agreed fee. Some lawyer will in addition to the agreed contingency fees, also charge for other related costs which you did not contemplate.

3.      Can you refer me to some past clients?

Past clients are the best source of information for the services they received from a lawyer. A lawyer who knows his onions will be willing to refer you to past clients for review, and verification. Be wary of attorneys who are reluctant to refer you to past clients.

4.      Have you handled similar cases in the past?

To increase your chances of winning your case, hire an attorney who has experience in similar cases. Always hire a personal injury attorney who knows exactly what to do and what to avoid.

5.      How many other cases are you handling now?

Your injury must have cost you a lot of time and resources. You wouldn’t want to waste more time by hiring an injury attorney who will abandon your claim for other matters.

6.      From experience, how long does it take to resolve cases of this nature?

Knowing how long you are going to spend resolving your personal injury case will help know whether the whole process is worth the effort. Although it is impossible to accurately predict the length of time a claim will last, an experienced lawyer can hazard a guess as to how long the case will last.

       

7.      Will my case be settled at the pre-trial stage or will it go to trial?

While it may be a good thing to have an experienced lawyer in the settlement, get another injury lawyer who is disposed to go to court if settlement fails.

Conclusion:

Go out of your way to learn how to hire a good personal injury attorney can either make or mar your case. When making the decision of who to hire, ensure that you ask the right questions. 

Picture credit:  Bill Oxford on Unsplash