Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer? Here Are 3 Important Things To Ask During Your Consultation

Now that you've decided to hire a personal injury lawyer, you're likely preparing for a consultation appointment with a prospective representative. Here are a few important questions to add to your own list that will help ensure you're choosing the right lawyer:

What Is Your Track Record?

It's not enough to find out how many personal injury cases a prospective lawyer has won in order to determine if they'll be able to meet your needs in the long run. Just because a lawyer wins most of their cases doesn't necessarily mean that they've tried very hard to win them. For instance, a majority of the cases a lawyer works on might be negotiated outside of the courtroom for a lesser amount than what might have been won in a trial.

So make sure you find out the percentage of cases a prospective lawyer has tried and how many were settled for lesser than the asking amount. Is the lawyer willing to take your case to trial and forego negotiating altogether if you prefer, or do they insist on negotiating first and foremost? While you may have a better chance of being compensated for your injuries by settling out of court, you need to know that your lawyer is willing to go to trial if it's in your best interest.

Can You Make a Commitment?

You should expect thorough one-on-one service and quality representation when hiring a personal injury lawyer to help get you the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. So it's important to make sure that the personal injury lawyer you decide to hire actually has the time and willingness to give your case their full attention.

When meeting with a lawyer for the first time, ask them about their schedule and how many cases they're currently working on. Find out what kind of staff the lawyer works with and how much of the workload their staff will be responsible for if you decide to hire them. Make sure you get a verbal and written commitment to make your case a priority once it's been opened.

Can You Provide an Accounting Record?

After your case has been settled, you should expect your lawyer to provide you with a settlement check. But a settlement check isn't all that your attorney should provide you with. Accompanying the check should be a detailed account of how the settlement funds were handled after being paid out by the defendant.

The accounting record should include the exact amount of money that was paid to the attorney, as well as the amount spent on resources, services, and expert testimony if you agreed to paid for said things out of the settlement amount. When all is said and done, you should know where every penny of the settlement amount has gone before you received the remaining balance.

To learn more about personal injury cases, contact a law firm like Terrel DoRemus & Associates.

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