The Questions You Should Ask Your Car Crash Lawyer Before Hiring Them

If you get in a car accident, you may feel some disorientation afterward, if not outright confusion. If you never experienced this situation before, you might struggle to get through the logical steps afterward. If the collision injured you, that can make things considerably more difficult.

Securing expert representation following a car accident often becomes paramount. If you feel like you might sue the other driver, that’s even more the case. 

You should ask the car wreck lawyer you’re considering hiring some questions before moving forward, though. Let’s talk about some of those now.

What Kind of Payment Structure Do You Want?

If you find a car accident lawyer and go see them, that probably means you’re already at least considering suing the other driver. If you have some medical bills piling up or you’re missing work while you’re recovering, that makes filing a lawsuit much more likely. 

When you talk to your would-be lawyer, you will tell them about what happened. You can fill them in on all the details that seem important, and then you can answer any additional questions they have.

Then, it’s your turn to ask some questions. You should probably start by asking them what payment structure they will accept if you hire them. 

If they say that you can pay them via a contingency payment plan, that’s probably the only structure that makes any sense. Paying them an hourly fee doesn’t work, because that means you must pay them even if they don’t win your case. You also probably shouldn’t pay them a flat fee, since that also means you must compensate them regardless of your case’s outcome.

If you set up a contingency payment plan, though, then you only pay them anything if they secure a settlement offer that you accept or they get a jury’s verdict in your favor. This way, if you get no money out of the deal, you don’t have to part with any either.  

How Much Will You Take from My Winnings?

If your would-be lawyer says that they can work with a contingency payment structure, then you should next ask them how much they will take from your winnings if they secure a satisfactory case outcome. They might take anywhere from 25%-40%, on average.

If they don’t have as much experience, they may take less. If they have decades of experience and a fantastic reputation, they will likely take more.  

Do You Have an Investigator Who Can Locate Evidence on My Behalf?

You can next ask them what specific steps they will take to help you if they hire them. You can ask them if they have an investigator, or more than one, who will look into your car accident and the details surrounding it.

If you hire a lawyer from a high-end law firm that’s well known in this niche, then they might have several investigators standing by. If you hire a lawyer from a smaller firm, they may have just one.

Either way, you will probably want to hear that this investigator will locate any paperwork that might help you win your case, such as medical reports indicating your injury’s severity, if you suffered one in the accident. They might also locate the police report that the cops filled out after the crash.

They may find some eyewitnesses, if any exist. They can look for video or photographic evidence that shows the accident or the moments immediately afterward. 

The lawyer should mention all of this. They may also suggest bringing in expert witnesses if they feel that will help your cause. 

No matter what, your would-be lawyer should have a plan they can lay out in detail when you ask them about what can do for you. If they can’t answer this question, or the response seems vague, that’s not the best sign. You may need to go with someone else.

Have You Handled Any Cases Like This Before?

You should ask your would-be lawyer if they have ever handled any cases like yours before. If you went on their website before you met with them, then you probably noticed if the site specifically mentioned car accident cases. 

Assuming they say they represented car accident victims in several previous cases, that should make you feel better. If they say they handled dozens or even more of such cases, then that is ideal. 

You definitely want someone with as much prior experience as possible. It’s less likely that they will make a mistake.

How Did Your Previous Cases Turn Out?

Next, you can ask them how their previous cases turned out. If they had dozens of previous car accident cases, then they might say that some turned out better for the client, and others not so much. If this lawyer handled that many prior car wreck lawsuits, then there is no guarantee they won them all.

 While you might not hear that this lawyer secured a settlement or a jury’s verdict in their client’s favor in 100% of prior lawsuits, they should at least tell you they won the majority of those cases. If they say 95% of their clients saw some profit, then that is probably sufficient.

If your would-be lawyer doesn’t answer the question to your satisfaction, then contact someone else. You need someone who’s not just experienced in this area, but also successful. 

How Long Have You Been in This Niche?

You may ask them how many years they’ve worked in this niche as well. If they’ve handled dozens of prior cases, then you will know they have plenty of experience. It follows that they might say they’ve been in this area of personal injury law for decades.

If the first lawyer you talk to says they’ve had very little personal experience in this area of the law, and they only have one or two years on the job, then you probably need to find someone else with more hands-on expertise.

By ML staff. Image courtesy of Pexels.