Clare Louise 
For the first half of 2022 alone, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that at least 20,175 people died in motor vehicle traffic accidents in the country, an alarming number that means you could be a victim of a car crash too. But aside from dealing with the trauma of being involved in a car accident, you also need to deal with the legalities involved in filing a claim against the offending driver to make sure that you are compensated for your injuries.
Hiring the right car accident lawyer is crucial to the success of your case. To make sure that you choose the right attorney, here are three important questions that you should ask your prospects:
- Will you be the one handling my case?
In most cases, you’ll see senior partners in websites and marketing materials to represent the law firm since they’ve already established themselves with their experience. But there are also instances that you expect a senior partner to handle your case and you end up being given a junior partner.
This is why it’s important to ask if the attorney that you’re talking to will be the one to represent you in court. This will give you time to vet that attorney and make sure that you’ll be working with someone who has the experience for the task.
Although there’s nothing wrong with junior partners or paralegals handling a case, a car accident claim needs an experienced attorney if you want to win.
- What field of law do you specialize in?
Lawyers, like doctors, have their areas of specialties or cases that they’ve been exposed to more than others. For instance, an attorney may be good at handling murder cases, but if he hasn’t handled car accident claims, he might not be the best choice for you.
Asking a prospect if he specializes in car accidents will help you ensure that you have someone who has the skills and experience to give you the most favorable outcome for your claim. It’s best that you work with a car accident lawyer who has won many similar cases before.
- What do you think of my case?
Experienced lawyers will know right away if you have a strong case or not based on the basic information given to them. This means that they’ve worked with similar cases and that they know exactly how to approach your case to ensure a win.
Asking a prospect’s opinion on the possible outcome of your case is a good way to gauge if he is confident that you will win. An attorney with proper experience will already have a plan in his head to help you get the best results for your case.
Of course, you can’t forget about the costs. Being involved in a car accident is already costly and here you are, filing a claim so you could get compensated for economic and non-economic damages.
In most cases, a car accident lawyer will only get paid if you win or on a contingency basis, which is around 20% of your final settlement. This is a good option if paying hourly rates is too expensive for you.
