If you have had the misfortune of getting injured in a car accident or were hurt in any other kind of accident that resulted in personal injuries, you may be wondering what to look for when hiring an attorney to pursue compensation on your behalf. There are a few different questions you should ask a personal injury attorney that you are considering hiring to handle your case to make sure that they are the right lawyer for you.
What Kinds of Cases Do You Handle on a Regular Basis?
One of the most important questions to ask an attorney you are considering for your case is to ask what types of cases they typically handle. There are many attorneys that are general practitioners, which means they take on a variety of different cases in several different areas of law. While these attorneys may be skilled at what they do, many times it is better to choose an attorney that solely focuses on one or a few closely related areas of law. This is because if an attorney focuses on one area of law, they tend to have in-depth knowledge of it, which would benefit you as a client.
What Will You Charge for My Case?
Most personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis. This means that whatever they recover for you in a settlement or after a trial, they will receive a certain percentage of that sum. Typically, this type of agreement also means that if the attorney is not successful and does not recover any compensation for you, you will not be responsible for attorney fees. If your case does go to trial though and you lose, you may end up owing some of the costs associated with the case. For these reasons, it is important to get details regarding any costs you may incur from any attorney you are considering for your case.
How Long Have You Been Handling Personal Injury Cases?
Generally, you will find that attorneys practicing in your area that handle personal injury cases or medical malpractice cases will charge the same contingency fee regardless of how long they have been practicing. While an attorney who has been practicing for only a few years may be great at what they do, you may want to consider hiring an attorney with a decade or more of experience if it will ultimately cost you the same.
An attorney that has been practicing for ten years or more will likely have experience with one or several different cases that are very similar to yours. This can benefit you as they can give you a realistic picture of what your case may be worth when you are deciding between accepting a settlement offer or going forward with a trial. Their several years of experience handling cases like yours can give you significant insight when you are making that important decision.
How Often Do You Take Cases to Trial?
Most people tend to assume that all personal injury attorneys are in court trying cases on a regular basis. This is not entirely accurate. There are many personal injury attorneys that have very minimal jury trial experience, or even no trial experience at all. It is a good idea to ask any personal injury attorney you are thinking of hiring to handle your case if they take cases to trial, and if so, how often they are in court trying cases. You will want assurance that if the circumstances necessitate going to trial on your case that your attorney is more than capable of seeing your case all the way through to a jury verdict.
Are You A Member of Any Trial Attorney Associations?
Many trial attorneys that practice personal injury law are members of state and national organizations of attorneys that represent victims of injuries. These types of organizations have legal publications and hold conferences for continuing legal education. They are also actively involved in proposed legislation that may affect their clients, as well as getting involved in Appellate Court cases that may impact the future of their practice. These attorney groups often meet or have discussions on various pertinent legal topics through e-mail groups. It is a good idea to ask if an attorney you are considering is a member of any of these groups since these resources may benefit you as a client.
If you are in need of a personal injury attorney, contact California attorney Johann Hall. Attorney Johann Hall has vast experience in the area of personal injury law and has likely handled many cases that are similar to yours. Contact our office today at (707) 360-8717 or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation to further discuss your legal needs.