Choosing An Injury Lawyer: What You Need To Ask

If you've been hurt in an accident due to another party's negligence, it may be in your best interests to seek out the advice and representation of an injury lawyer. While the general public tends to have a certain, jaded view of civil trial attorneys, the truth is that they represent one of the few professions out there that continue to look out for the little guy. If you are facing down the prospect of exorbitant medical bills, lost wages, and possibly even the ramifications of a wrongful death, you'll be glad they are there. Here are some questions you should ask when choosing someone to be on your side.

What's Your Experience?

Don't make the mistake of assuming every injury lawyer is coming to the table with the same credentials. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even if every attorney went to the same law school and graduated with the same grades, there would still be an enormous gap between the best guy for the job and the worst. Some of this is down to skill, but much of it is down to experience. Not only do you want an attorney with years of general courtroom experience, you want someone steeped in your specific case law. For instance, if you've been hurt in a motorcycle accident, you want someone who has handled motorcycle cases in the past. Knowing the ropes can make all the difference.

Who Will I Be Working With?

There's nothing wrong with considering a larger law firm, but you need to know who you'll be working with. Many potential clients sign on with the expectation that they'll be working with the injury lawyer they met with in the initial consultation, or maybe the one who's in all of the TV commercials. This isn't always the case and it can lead to confusion and irritation, to say the least. Before you sign a contract, you deserve to know what exactly it is you'll be getting.

What Is Your Strategy?

An injury lawyer isn't going to be able to map out the entire case for you during an initial consultation, but they should be able to give you a general idea of how they will proceed. Make sure the skeleton of their strategy matches up with what you want out of the case. If you're interested in settling the case as soon as possible, you don't want to sign on with an attorney who is ready to take the case to trial. Being on the same page with your counsel is an extremely important factor of success.