Questions to ask a vehicle accident attorney
Before picking a lawyer to handle your vehicle accident case, it’s important to gather as much information as possible about the accident, injuries and resulting losses. Your lawyer will need to see some documents like your medical records, insurance policy, information exchanged at the scene of the accident among other things.
However, you must ensure your lawyer is capable of playing their part. One of the best ways of selecting a good vehicle accident attorney is to ask them questions. Here’s what you must ask before hiring a car accident attorney;
- Is your practice devoted to vehicle accident cases?
- How many years of experiences do you have handling personal injury cases related to vehicle accidents?
- What is the average settlement for cases which are similar to mine?
- How are your fees/charges structured?
Ideal responses
You should consider working with an attorney or law firm that is 50%+ devoted to vehicle accident cases. The attorney or law firm you choose should also be highly experienced. The best personal injury lawyers also handle cases on a contingency basis. This simply means that you will only be required to pay if the lawyer wins the case. Last but not least, a great auto accident attorney should be able to give you a rough estimate of your settlement. If they are experienced and have been devoted to cases such as yours for a long time, they shouldn’t have a problem giving a good settlement estimate.
Insurance defense
When considering specialization, you should consider vehicle accident attorneys who specialize in insurance defense. Such attorneys work closely with insurance companies to defend their clients (the insured) against lawsuits which arise from vehicle accidents. They have experience handling all parties in auto-related personal injury cases making them the best fit for such cases.
Must you hire a vehicle accident attorney?
If you have a clear-cut auto-related personal injury case, you may not need an attorney, i.e. when the other party/s to the accident has acknowledged a clear fault or when the accident is minor with little to no medical expenses. Such accidents among others with no extenuating circumstance requiring an investigation can be handled without an attorney. However, if there are any uncertainties or questions, it’s advisable to find legal representation.
When should you hire or seek legal advice from a vehicle accident attorney?
- Liability isn’t clear.
- You have resulting claims, i.e. lost wages, long-term effects, etc. that are hard to prove.
- Don’t know how to assess/evaluate your claim.
- You are sued by the other party.
- Receive a settlement offer that isn’t adequate or fair.
- You receive a structured settlement offer as opposed to a lump sum payment.
- When your claim is denied.
- You aren’t confident about your abilities to negotiate a fair settlement on your own.
In most cases, auto-related personal injury cases aren’t straightforward. As a result, it’s not advisable to handle them on your own. Provided you work with a law firm like Stambaugh Law that handles cases on a contingency basis, you pay when you receive your settlement. Stambaugh Law has 29+ years of experience dealing with vehicle accident cases in York, PA.
