7 FAQ to Ask Your Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer
Are you looking for the right Glendale personal injury lawyer?
Are you confused and need help selecting the right person amongst the many attorneys in Glendale?
Selecting the right person or firm can be overwhelming, and the injury pain and stress makes things even more difficult. Don’t worry. These questions should help make things easier for you.
Just ask your prospective personal injury lawyers the questions and select the right person based on the answers received.
1. Can You Handle My Case?
This is an important question to ask because some lawyers accept more cases than they can handle.
They end up not being able to give your case the attention this needs.
It’s most likely to happen in a one-person firm. There are many people in a larger, more established firm to handle your case.
However, the senior advocate that you trust may end up entrusting your case to a junior to handle. If it’s the case, find out how competent the junior is at handling your type of claims.
2. Have You Litigated Similar Cases Before?
Don’t just hire any lawyer to represent your case. There’s no point in hiring someone who handles car accidents to handle your slip-and-fall case. The Glendale personal injury attorney you select should be specialized in handling similar cases.
They will thus know the common defense tactics insurance agents use. These lawyers will accordingly be able to negotiate your case in your favor.
You can request some lawyer background information to learn more about their education, specific practice area, and the number of successful cases. Most attorneys have a page on their website, displaying their achievements and information.
Besides, the chosen person should have a reasonable success rate.
Winning is not the only indicator of importance. But lawyers with a strong winning record are fierce, dedicated, and knowledgeable.
3. What Is Your Assessment of My Case?
Each personal injury and accident is different from the other. Besides, sometimes the law or your case particulars may make your case impossible to fight.
Your lawyer should first assess your case.
They should give their unbiased and objective assessment and decide if they should pursue your case or not. They will then be able to tell you what your winning chances are, and give an approximate case value.
4. Will My Case Go to Trial? If Yes, When?
While it’s better to settle most cases out of court, your lawyer should be prepared and qualified to take your case to trial and win. They use their local courthouse and legal system knowledge to guess how long it will be before trying your case in court.
Of course, no personal injury lawyer in Glendale will be able to give a specific date. But someone experienced can give a general and much more informed time frame.
5. How Much Is Your Contingency Fee?
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis where you pay them only if they win your compensation.
Highly-qualified attorneys charge about 40% of the settlement amount but can be negotiated and reduced. Always read your retainer document and clear any doubts before hiring your lawyer. And be wary of law firms advertising cheap rates. It’s too good to be true.
6. Do I Have to Pay Anything If We Lose?
Most attorneys fight cases on a contingency basis. However, cases also come with some out-of-pocket-expenses. These include filing fees, expert witness costs, and medical records retrieval fees.
Some lawyers stipulate that these costs are not your responsibility if you lose the case. However, there are a few who expect you to pay.
So make sure you clear this matter and eliminate this doubt before hiring an attorney.
7. What Is My Level of Participation?
All lawyers handle cases differently based on their personalities. Your personal injury lawyer in Glendale will naturally need to know everything about you and your story. They need facts like accident facts and your medical history.
However, while some welcome some involvement from clients, others prefer to do everything themselves.
To find out what your lawyer expects from you before committing yourself.
Asking these questions will make it so much easier for you to select the right Glendale personal injury lawyer for your case.