What Questions To Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer
You have been injured, are in pain, and can not work, which leads you to lose income. Finding a professional lawyer makes it confusing for you with so many ads everywhere—on TV, online, and on buses. Choosing the best personal injury attorney in Reno to represent your case can be a difficult task.
With so many firms available in Reno, it gets challenging to find the right one. Among these challenges, you must make sure that the lawyer you choose is well-suited to your specific needs and has a strong track record. Thus, knowing the best questions to ask a personal injury lawyer can help you a lot. It will address your concerns about their experience, success rate, communication style, and how they handle cases similar to yours.
So, let’s find out what questions you can ask a personal injury lawyer to be aware of their credibility.
What Kinds of Legal Services Can You Offer Me?
The role of a personal injury lawyer includes handling almost everything related to your claim, as long as they have the right resources and experience. Here is how they can help:
- Investigating your case
- Hiring experts
- Doing legal research
- Collecting evidence
- Negotiating with the other side
- Managing paperwork and communications
- Filing a lawsuit if needed
- Taking your case to trial if necessary
During the time of your free consultation, ask the lawyer what kind of services and resources they can provide for your case. A professional with experience in personal injury cases and with access to good experts can offer you more support and confidence in their ability to represent you well.
How much will it cost to hire you?
In Reno, personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis. This means that you are not going to be charged a legal fee unless the attorney wins your case. The fee will be a percentage of your compensation award. Thus, it is essential for you to find out what the percentage is and whether there will be additional costs in addition to the legal fee. Some lawyers might say “no legal fees,” but they might not mention that you will still need to pay for things like copying documents and postage. However, many of them cover these costs themselves, while others will send you monthly bills for these expenses.
What is your experience level in practicing personal injury law?
It is important to choose the best personal injury lawyer who has a wide number of experience with cases like yours. Think of it like this: if you are facing dental issues, you would see a dentist rather than a general doctor. The dentist has more experience with dental problems and can offer you better care.
Thus when you are talking to the personal injury lawyer, be straightforward, and ask questions without hesitation. Ask them how many years they have been handling cases similar to yours, it will give you a brief about their work and help you find out about their success rate.
How long does it take to resolve a case like mine?
You should clearly ask your personal injury lawyer about how long it typically takes to resolve a personal injury case. While there are many factors that can affect the timeline, however, a professional should be able to give you a rough estimate. Try to make sure that the lawyer is committed to resolving your case as quickly as possible given the situation.
Can I talk to one of your past clients?
Feel free to ask the lawyer if you can speak with one or two of their past clients so that you can get an idea of their working ability. A good attorney should be willing to give you contact details for clients who are happy with their work. This will also help you resolve many issues and doubts of yours, such as the lawyer’s capability, how they handle client communication, and their overall effectiveness in achieving favorable outcomes. Do not rely only on what is on their website or in advertisements, as these can be carefully edited. Thus, try to reach out to their previous clients for more information.
How will you keep in touch with me?
It is essential to be aware of how your personal injury lawyer will keep you informed throughout your case. Not knowing what is happening can be very stressful. The law firm you choose should give you details about who is working on your case, including their names, phone numbers, and email addresses. Ask them how they prefer to communicate with you; this will help you address many of your concerns.
Conclusion
When selecting a personal injury lawyer, it is crucial to ask questions so that you can resolve a lot of your worries. Make your own list of main concerns about your legal situation and ask the attorney for any general advice they typically give to people in your situation. Keep in mind that lawyers are used to answering all sorts of questions, so do not hesitate to ask your queries. The attorney understands that the more informed you are, the better they can work on your behalf.