After facing an accident, you may remain confused about what to do. In fact, there are several victims of accidents who are totally unsure about their future.
However, it is thankful to note that when this occurs, a personal injury attorney can assist you in safeguarding your rights and ensuring a worthy compensation throughout.
As you know that the insurance companies have their team of adjusters and lawyers who sit together to evaluate your claim, hence it is imperative to hire legal counsel to level the field of the game.
In an event when you’ve been injured entirely due to the negligence of someone else, you’ll have too many questions running in your mind. Let’s know the factors that you should tick off while hiring a Tacoma personal injury attorney.
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What types of cases do you handle?
One of the foremost considerations while appointing a personal injury attorney is his area of expertise. Whenever you’re searching for a lawyer, you should know more about his special practice area or his personal injury cases. In fact, it is always perfect to hire someone who is already an expert in handling cases that are similar to yours.
If you’re someone who has been injured due to some faulty product or medical negligence, you have to make sure you hire a lawyer who is proficient in handling such cases. It is only a lawyer who regularly handles such cases that can develop the required knowledge and tactics to defend you.
What percentage of your cases did you successfully settle?
There are several personal injury cases that are settled without the requirement of filing a lawsuit. Such parties might opt for mediation or settlement, or reach an agreement. Nevertheless, there are a few cases that will reach trial as the parties involved in such cases aren’t able to resolve disputes. Hence, you should certainly look for an attorney who is a contentious trial lawyer and a skilled negotiator as well.
Insurance companies always keep a tab on the total number of cases that the legal firm has settled. So, lawyers who have never ever reached the court might not be the correct option for dealing with the insurance companies.
What is your billing policy and how much fee do you charge?
If you have experience with lawyers, you’d know that personal injury lawyers work on the basis of a contingency fee. This implies that the lawyer isn’t supposed to receive any fee amount unless he recoups money for your compensation claim. In case he is unable to obtain the compensation amount on your behalf, you don’t owe him his fees.
In most personal injury cases these days, contingency fees are extremely common, especially in cases like construction injuries, slip and fall, car accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian accidents, and other types. Before hiring an attorney, be sure whether or not he has a clear understanding of the fee structure. Speak with him and confirm that he won’t get any fees if he is not able to get back the compensation.
Who is going to tackle my case?
There are some attorneys who take up a case but then transfer it to a paralegal. Now when you’re hiring a personal injury attorney who will tackle your claim, you will expect the lawyer to work on your behalf. So, make sure the law firm has enough staff to handle cases that they accept.
You are the one to benefit when you work with a law firm that has a talented and experienced team of professionals who are competent enough to handle any case.
During a personal injury case, effective communication is a must. Your attorney should be available for contact. Ask him how he prefers to communicate with his clients and how often you can expect his replies.
