subject: Asking A Personal Injury Lawyer The Right Questions [print this page] Hiring a good personal injury lawyer can make the difference between a successful lawsuit and one that fizzles out with a settlement far below what you were expecting. While a settlement out of court is often the primary goal of pursuing compensation, only a master negotiator can get what you need without setting foot in a courtroom. Thankfully, it is often the best negotiators that open up practices in the first place, meaning you'll have a nice selection at your disposal. That said, how do you tell the good ones from the bad? These questions can help you make a decision.
What are your qualifications?
Simply graduating from law school is enough to allow a personal injury lawyer to open up his or her own practice and begin accepting clients. It is not enough, however, to give you any guarantees as to their proficiency or capability in or out of the courtroom. Ask them how much experience they have. You need to know not only how long they have been practicing law, but how long they have been working in this specific field. Ask them about their win/loss percentage and how often they are able to get a settlement out of court.
How do you expect this case to turn out?
A personal injury lawyer isn't a fortune teller, of course, but if they have enough experience, they should be able to take a quick look at the facts of the case and give you a fairly good guess as to what it going to happen. Don't take what they say as fact, but merely an opinion. Taking a case like this all the way to a jury could mean waiting for years for compensation. Most clients don't want to wait that long and most attorneys don't want to get involved in something that drawn out. Even so, if you do want to have your day in court, you'll want to make sure you hire an attorney willing to go all the way.
How do you charge?
More often than not, a personal injury lawyer will charge their clients on a contingency basis. This means, essentially, that you don't have to pay for their services out of pocket. Their fee will come as a percentage of the final settlement (or judgment, should you go to court). If you don't win the case, you'll never have to pay a dime. Of course, not every firm charges in this manner. Some charge a retainer and some will ask their clients to fund the investigation, even if they do not bill them hourly. Make sure you know what you'll be expected to pay before hiring someone.
by: aayana
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