Three Subjects To Be Sure You Cover When Hiring A Personal Injury Attorney
Being injured as a result of someone else's negligence can make you experience a whole host of emotions, from feeling sad to angry. While these reactions can be common, it's important to be able to set your emotions aside – at least for a little while – so that you can hire the right attorney to represent your interests. Start your pursuit of legal justice by researching a short list of attorneys in your city who practice personal injury law; they'll be best qualified to handle your case. Your next step is to contact the offices of the attorneys you're considering and schedule a short meeting to discuss your situation. During this conversation, be sure that you cover these three subjects.
Typical Outcomes
Although personal injury law can cover a wide range of situations, the attorney you speak to should be able to compare the particulars of your case to other cases he or she has handled in the past – especially if the attorney exclusively focuses on personal injury law. This means that it's ideal to ask the attorney about the typical outcomes of cases similar to yours. This simple question should initiate a discussion about the strength of your case, the likelihood of a settlement and what the settlement dollar value might be. Covering this topic increases your knowledge of the situation ahead of you and also gives you an opportunity to gauge each attorney's experience.
Time Until Resolution
Being involved in a personal injury case can often seem like a full-time job. You'll find yourself keeping in constant contact with your attorney, speaking to investigators about your injury and visiting medical centers to be evaluated by medical experts. As such, it's useful to get each attorney's perspective on how long your case will take to resolve. In some cases, an attorney will suggest that it's advantageous to decline the settlement offers and go to trial; if the attorney believes this approach is best for your situation, it's valuable for you to have an idea of the time you'll need to invest.
Contact Person
It's ideal to know who you'll be speaking with as the case progresses. Many attorneys have assistants keep in touch with their clients. This approach shouldn't concern you, but you should know how the attorney plans to keep in contact before you hire him or her. Even if you're dealing with an assistant on a daily basis, you want the freedom to be able to contact the attorney if the need arises.
For more information, talk to an attorney like Burgess, Harrell, Mancuso, Colton, La Porta & Shea.