What Questions Should You Ask When Speaking To A Personal Injury?
If you are injured in an accident you may be ready to hire a personal injury attorney. That’s a very smart move and you’re on the right track to helping yourself get over this very difficult time. But the next question may cause you to ask some questions.: What attorney should you choose, and how do you know which one to choose?
Of course, word of mouth can be helpful, as can the internet, but ultimately, you will probably find a few options, and you may need to boil those options down to the attorneys that you will choose. What questions can you ask that will help you determine whether a given personal injury attorney is good for you?
What Type of Personal Injury Law Does the Lawyer Practice?
Many attorneys say they practice personal injury. But personal injury is a very broad category. It may include falls, car accidents, truck accidents, malpractice, nursing home liability or defective products or product liability. Making things more confusing, some attorneys may “dabble” in personal injury, taking a case here and there, but they aren’t actively involved in handling injury cases.
One question to ask is whether the attorney you are speaking to, actually handles the types of personal injury case that you have, and how much experience the attorney has not just in personal injury law, but in the type of personal injury case that you have.
Who Will You Speak to When You Visit or Call?
A law office is full of very qualified individuals. Paralegals and legal assistants are often very qualified, and it is OK to speak to them on occasion. But you do want to be with an attorney that will be there to speak to you, and answer your calls or emails. How available will the attorney be, to speak to you when you have a question?
Does the Attorney Try Personal Injury Cases?
Not all cases go to trial, and not all of them have to. But it’s always best to have an attorney that could take your case all the way to trial, and who knows how to try personal injury cases, if needed. Many attorneys don’t ever take cases to trial, which eliminates doing that as a possibility for you, if you choose the wrong attorneys.
What Will the Defendant Do or Say?
Not every case is perfect, and the law allows defendants to put forward many defenses to your case. A good attorney is honest with you about not just the strengths, but the weaknesses of your case. Ask your attorney what kind of defenses the other side may assert, to try to defeat your lawsuit or claim.
How Will Your Bills and Expenses Get Paid?
Of course, the answer to this may vary based on your situation, and at first, your attorney may not know enough about your case to answer this question. But he or she should give you a basic overview of what insurance will pay what bills, and what damages you can expect the other side to compensate you for, if the Defendant is found liable.
Feel free to ask us anything about the law, or about your case. Our Boston personal injury attorneys at The Law Office of Joseph Linnehan, Jr. are here to guide you through your personal injury case. Call us today at 617-275-4200
Sources:
alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/kinds-of-cases.html
llawyer-monthly.com/2021/07/types-of-personal-injury-cases-explained/