If you were injured due to the negligence of another party, you are presumably eligible to receive compensation for those injuries. While there are several ways to obtain such payment, you are often more likely to acquire higher compensation if you enlist the services of a personal injury lawyer.
With that said, though, you shouldn’t choose just any personal injury attorney. Before choosing a lawyer, take advantage of a free consultation to ask the following questions:
1. Do I have a good case?
Some lawyers will take on mediocre cases just to earn some money out of their contingency fee, but if your case is only worth a few thousand or even a few hundred dollars, it’s just not worth it for you.
Keep that in mind as you ask the attorney for an analysis of your case, including how much money you are likely to receive (or how likely you are to get any money at all). If the numbers don’t sound good, move on, but if you like what you hear, ask the lawyer to put that information in writing.
2. What results have you gotten in similar cases?
Asking about prior results is effectively a two-part question, as you are inquiring about whether they have taken on similar cases on top of hearing about the results they’ve led to.
Personal injury law covers many different situations, including car accidents, medical malpractice, and defective products, which means you’ll want an attorney who has handled cases similar to yours and obtained satisfactory results.
3. How will you communicate with me about my case?
There is only one right answer to this question: The right personal injury lawyer will communicate with you using whatever form of communication you find most convenient. You shouldn’t have to accept a phone call if you prefer email or text messages.
Assuming the attorney gives you the right answer, you may want to ask a follow-up question: How often will you update me about my case? That said, you shouldn’t have to ask; most reputable personal injury attorneys will mention the answer while they are answering the first question.
4. How long will my case take to resolve?
If you have been seriously injured, the sooner you get money to cover your expenses, the better, of course. That said, though a personal injury lawyer has some influence over how long a case can take to resolve, they don’t fully control that aspect of your case. They should, however, be able to provide a reasonable estimate of time and be able to give scenarios that will increase or decrease that time.
5. What is your fee structure, and how much will I pay?
Almost every personal injury attorney takes cases on contingency, which means that they only get paid if they obtain money for you. Still, just because most lawyers take cases on contingency doesn’t mean all of their fee structures are identical.
Personal injury lawyers will differ in how they handle expenses, including the percentage of your compensation they’ll take as a fee and whether their fees change if the case goes to trial. A good lawyer will be able to explain every aspect of their fee structure in detail and be transparent about their expected costs.
If you feel that a lawyer is being dodgy about their fee structure, you probably shouldn’t trust them to handle your case; the last thing you want is to have to hire another attorney to sue your last lawyer.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in New York
If you were seriously injured anywhere in the greater New York City area, you may be eligible for compensation for those injuries. Contact Kohan Law Group to schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer.