What Questions Should I Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer?

What Questions Should I Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Asking the right questions can help you find the right personal injury lawyer. Targeted questions can also provide several other benefits during the course of your case. An attorney will be eager to answer your questions, as they know that many clients and prospective clients come from a place of inexperience.

Feel free to ask one very pointed question before you hire your attorney: “Why should I hire your firm to handle my case?” Being straightforward is your right as a client, and it can help you find the right attorney to represent you.

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Why It Is Important to Ask Questions of a Personal Injury Lawyer

Asking the right questions to an attorney can serve several purposes, including:

• Helping you to learn more about a lawyer or firm
• Determining how transparent a law firm is
• Differentiating one firm from another
• Helping you understand what is happening with your case
• Easing your mind, as the more information you have, the more confident you may be in your lawyer and your case’s progress

It is your right to ask questions of a law firm. You should never hesitate to do so, as good lawyers and firms will always be happy to answer your questions.

Questions to Ask After You Have Hired Your Personal Injury Attorney

Your questions should not stop once you hire a law firm. While your personal injury attorney handles every step of your case, you should maintain active communication throughout. Your law firm will also be responsible for maintaining communication.

Some questions you may ask your attorney or your law firm’s team members during your case are:

• Who do I contact when I have questions about my case?
• What is the expected timeline for completing my case?
• How often will you contact me about updates in my case?
• What are my responsibilities as you work on my case?
• Will you review settlement offers with me?

Each client in a personal injury case experiences unique circumstances. You will undoubtedly have questions throughout your case, and you shouldn’t ever hesitate to ask these questions to your legal representatives.

A Good Attorney Will Provide Many Answers Even Before You Ask Questions

While you have the right to ask any question you see fit to your law firm, you should expect a proactive approach from your attorney. You may not have to ask many questions if your law firm actively informs you. Some steps that your legal team may take to keep you informed are:

• Explaining the firm’s approach and what you can expect: When you speak with a law firm, they will explain what they bring to the table. While you might have questions, expect the law firm to pitch themselves and make a case for why they should handle your case,
• Calling you frequently: Great communication is one of the hallmarks of a great law firm. Your attorney should reach out frequently about your case, which may spare you from having to contact them and ask questions about your case.
• Issuing updates when important developments happen: You should expect to hear from your lawyer regularly, even when there are no significant updates in your case. There will be significant updates, though (with settlement offers being a prime example), and your lawyer will contact you immediately to discuss such offers. This way, you won’t have to reach out to your attorney to ask if any significant updates have happened.
• Warning you about bad-faith tactics and other hazards to your case: Your lawyer’s job is to prepare and protect you. Therefore, they may warn you about insurance companies trying to pressure you into a lowball settlement or use other bad-faith tactics to undermine your case.

The relationship between lawyer and client goes two ways. While you should ask your lawyer any questions you have, your lawyer will also reach out to you with information and advice you need to hear.

A Good Attorney Will Maintain Excellent Communication Throughout Your Personal Injury Case

Communication is one of the most essential features of the lawyer-client relationship. Some of the ways that attorneys facilitate excellent communication are:

• Direct communication: You should have your attorney’s phone number and email. There may be other ways to contact your lawyer, and you should not hesitate to reach out to your lawyer through those mediums.
• 24/7 messaging services: While personal injury attorneys do their best to be available all the time, they can also be in meetings or otherwise indisposed. They account for this by implementing answering services and other systems that ensure you get answers as soon as possible.
• A robust support staff: When you hire a personal injury lawyer, you also get the staff the law firm employs. This staff is often legally trained and well informed, so they may be able to answer questions and provide advice you find useful.

As you ask questions of law firms, focus on communication. You deserve a law firm that will be attentive and responsive, so ask plenty of questions about communication when selecting your attorney.

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What to Expect Once You Hire Your Lawyer

So you have found a law firm. The next question is what the lawyer and their firm are going to do for you. While each case is unique, a personal injury lawyer will generally:

Watch Out for Your Best Interests (and Protect You)

When you allow a personal injury attorney to lead your case, you should trust they will protect you and your future interests. From their legal advice to their practical services, an attorney is a layer of protection between you and potential harm to your case. Further, you do not have to worry about properly pursuing a claim in line with the law and your rights when you have the right lawyer doing the following and more.

Deal with Insurers (and Anyone Else Involved in Your Case)

Managing insurance companies can be another way for your lawyer to protect you. Insurers’ approaches are not always above board, and some of their bad-faith tactics may include:

• Denying your insurance claim
• Distorting the events that have led you to file a claim
• Pressuring or deceiving you to assign blame to yourself
• Extending a lowball settlement and pressuring you to accept
• Not engaging in good-faith settlement negotiations

An experienced lawyer will be ready for these and any other bad-faith insurance tactics that come with your case. Let them handle these challenges for you.

Acquire Evidence of Negligence

Personal injury lawyers generally prove that negligence caused their client harm. Expect your attorney to do the same. Some examples of evidence that can help prove harmful negligence include:

• Video
• Witness statements
• Police reports
• Expert testimony

Evidence is unique to each case, and your lawyer will use the evidence available to them to build your case.

Document Your Damages

Personal injury lawyers prove how their clients have been harmed. This means documenting the client’s damages. Some examples of documentation include:

• Medical bills
• Bills related to your case
• Relevant bank statements
• Mental health evaluations

Should there be any other proof of your economic or non-economic losses, expect your lawyer to incorporate them in your case.

Negotiate the Settlement You Deserve

Your attorney will likely seek a settlement that provides the compensation you deserve. While fair settlements are not always easy to obtain, that’s why you will hire a lawyer—to fight for the money you deserve.

Lead Legal Proceedings for You

Attorneys give you the option to file a lawsuit and go to trial. Should you pursue this path, your lawyer will represent you in all legal proceedings.

Damages Your Personal Injury Lawyer May Get You Compensation For

Personal injury cases span many different types, so damages are unique to each plaintiff or claimant. There are some common types of damages, though, which include:

Medical Bills

Healthcare costs are one of the most common types of damage that personal injury attorneys account for. Some of the most common sources of medical bills include:

• Ambulance transport
• Imaging services
• Medications
• Surgery
• Medical equipment
• Rehabilitation

Car accidents, for example, can result in substantial medical expenses. The same is true of many other case types that fall under the personal injury umbrella.

Pain and Suffering

Attorneys are familiar with the term “pain and suffering” because it is a common feature of their cases. When they say “pain and suffering,” it may allude to:

• Physical pain (both acute and chronic)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Lost quality of life
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Scarring
• Amputation injuries
• Other forms of disfigurement

There are many other forms of pain and suffering, and you can trust your lawyer to include all of yours in their settlement demands.

Property Costs

Many personal injury cases involve considerable property damage, with automobile accidents being a prime example. If you face any property damage due to someone’s negligence, your lawyer will demand fair compensation for the repair or replacement of your damaged property.

Lost Income

Often, when those affected by negligence suffer injury or illness, they face:

• Lost income
• Diminished earning capacity
• Lost chances for bonuses and overtime opportunities
• Lost benefits
• Other professional benefits

These and other professional damages will be included in your lawyer’s financial demands, should you experience them.

Wrongful Death

Personal injury attorneys also represent those who have lost loved ones under wrongful circumstances. The loss of a loved one is an extremely personal and traumatic reality, and some of the losses that can result from a wrongful death include:

• Funeral costs
• Cremation or burial costs
• Loss of consortium
• Lost financial support

The loss of a loved one is the most severe outcome of negligence. Your attorney will understand this and seek compensation reflective of the tragic loss you have endured.

Disability

Disabling injuries pose unique hardship. Some damages often included in wrongful death cases include:

• Medical equipment such as wheelchairs
• Vehicles that can accommodate wheelchairs and other medical equipment
• Caregiver services
• Long-term or permanent income replacement

Again, your lawyer will consider your unique circumstances to determine what damages you’ve suffered and how to seek fair compensation for those damages.

All of a Lawyer’s Services and Benefits Come at No Out-of-Pocket Cost to You

The contingency fee is something you must be aware of, as it is how most personal injury lawyers offer their services. This fee type means:

• There is no out-of-pocket cost to hire your lawyer
• Your lawyer is going to have to earn their fee by securing compensation for you
• You owe your lawyer nothing unless they secure money for you

Your attorney’s fee is based on results, so you can rest assured they will fight for all the compensation you deserve.

Call an Attorney as Soon as Possible for Your Free Consultation

Do not wait to contact lawyers to find out which is right for your case. There are typically deadlines for filing cases, as well as other time-sensitive aspects of your case.

Consultations are free, so there is no reason to wait to find your lawyer. Call as soon as possible.

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