Auto crashes, for instance, injure over 4 million people in the United States every year.
Occupational hazards are responsible for over 2.8 million injuries yearly. Other common causes of personal injuries include dog bites, medical malpractices, and domestic assault.
If you’ve sustained an injury as a result of someone else’s negligence or mistake, you might be planning to sue them for compensation. But to do this, you need a lawyer.
Continue reading for important questions to ask a lawyer about your personal injury case.
- Do You Specialize in Personal Injury Cases?
If you’ve never hired a lawyer before, you’d be forgiven for thinking that any kind of lawyer can take up your case.
Yes, there are general practice lawyers, but when you have a serious legal issue, you don’t want a jack of all trades representing you. You want a specialist on your side.
This is why the first question you need to ask a lawyer is whether they specialize in personal injury cases. And not just any injury case, but your specific injury case.
For example, if you were injured in a car crash, you need a car accident injury lawyer. If you were injured by a neighbor’s dog, you need a dog attack lawyer.
- Do I Have a Case?
Some personal injury cases are straightforward and others can be complex cases.
After you’ve been injured, you might think that someone else is to blame, but there’s a chance they won’t be held liable for your injuries. You don’t want to waste your time and money pursuing a case where nobody will be held responsible.
Asking your injury lawyer whether you have a solid case will help you determine how to proceed. In most instances, your lawyer will ask for your account of what happened. If you’ve got some proof, such as witness statements, hand it to your lawyer.
If you were injured at work, workers compensation doctors will be able to assess and treat your injuries and prepare a report that can be used as evidence in your case.
In general, though, before an injury lawyer agrees to pursue your case, they typically must establish that you have a good chance of winning.
- What Payment Arrangement Do You Offer?
Your personal injury lawyer will charge you for their services.
Ask about their payment arrangement.
A lawyer can bill you an hourly rate, a flat fee, or a contingency fee. When hiring a personal injury lawyer, you should go for one who asks for a contingency fee.
This means their pay is contingent on the outcome of the case. Almost all injury cases end in a settlement, from which your lawyer will take their cut. If they don’t win the case, they won’t get paid.
In addition to this, ask about the percentage they will take from the settlement. The standard rate is about 30 percent, but you can negotiate a lower rate.
Know the Questions to Ask a Lawyer About Your Personal Injury Case
A personal injury can leave you with a big hospital bill. If someone is to blame, pursuing them for compensation is the right thing to do.
With this guide on the questions to ask a lawyer about personal injury, you now know how to learn more about your case and find the right lawyer.
Keep reading our blog for more legal tips.
