What Are The Things To Know Before Hiring A Truck Accident Lawyer?
There are things you should know before hiring a truck accident lawyer, particularly when it comes to experience and they’re handling of your case. Jumping into a relationship with an attorney is a bad idea if you haven’t properly vetted them for your legal needs. Below are some questions you should ask that will help you learn the things you should know before hiring a truck accident attorney.
There are things you should know before hiring a truck accident lawyer, particularly when it comes to experience and they’re handling of your case. Jumping into a relationship with an attorney is a bad idea if you haven’t properly vetted them for your legal needs. Below are some questions you should ask that will help you learn the things you should know before hiring a truck accident attorney.
Do You Have Experience in Fighting Truck Accidents Cases?
When taking on your personal injury case, you’ll want to work with an experienced truck accident lawyer. Not all personal injury cases are made equal. A qualified professional truck accident attorney will be someone with extensive experience in this area of personal injury law. Large truck accidents tend to have catastrophic consequences for those involved.
Extensive injuries and property damage mean you will be claiming a larger sum of money than other car accident claims. Your attorney should be well-versed in the types of injuries and damages you might suffer in truck accidents and aware of the common defenses the liable party might bring to escape paying you. Finally, it’s important that your attorney be knowledgeable in the intricacies of the trucking industry, federal regulations, insurance coverage, and business structure.
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How Many Truck Accident Cases Do You Settle and How Many Go to Trial?
It’s important for you to have an understanding of how your attorney resolves cases. Do they tend to settle out of court or fly to trial? Knowing their litigation style and experience will give you some idea of what to expect if they represent you in your truck accident case. Ideally, you’ll find an attorney who is skilled in the art of negotiation and applying pressure pre-trial but who won’t back down from a fight in court.
What is Your Success Rate or Case Results in Truck Accidents?
If your attorney has experience in commercial truck accidents, they should also have positive results to back it up. Ask for their success rate and case results for truck accidents in particular. You can also ask to be referred to some of their former clients to speak with them about their experience and satisfaction with the law firm.
What is Your Plan for Handling My Truck Accident Case?
Even before you hire a truck accident lawyer, they should have a pretty good idea of how they will proceed with your case. If they are experienced in truck accidents, they should have a solid plan in place that they will tweak as they discover more information about your accident and injuries. They should be able to explain to you how these things play out, what to expect from them and the opposing party, and any backup plans they have in case certain things don’t pan out as hoped.
Who Will be Handling the Bulk of My Case?
The law firm you hired will let you know who the attorney will be that is going to be actively working on your case. Will the attorney be hands-on or will paralegals and attorney’s assistants be doing the majority of the legwork? It may be a red flag if you can’t seem to receive a concrete answer on who will actually be working on your semi-truck accident case.
How Often Will I Be Updated on My Case and What is the Best Way to Reach You?
Your truck accident attorney should provide regular updates on the status of your case. You should know upfront what your lawyer’s strategy and initial plan for filing claims, motions, and other documents will be. Updates typically correspond to these events, and there are generally deadlines that you should be aware of.
Further, you should be able to reach them personally when you have questions or concerns. If you cannot, there might be a problem. A contact number is best but you should collect email addresses as well.
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How Will You and the Law Firm Be Compensated?
You need to know upfront how your attorney expects to be paid. Personal injury lawyers usually work on a contingency fee, meaning they only get paid if they help you win your case. They typically take a percentage of the monetary award or settlement you recover. You need to know how much that will be before hiring a truck accident attorney. You should also find out if you are expected to pay anything if you don’t win in court or receive a settlement.
Are There Any Additional Costs or Fees?
Just because a lawyer works on contingency does not mean everything is free. The contingency fee may just refer to the attorney’s compensation, not to the cost of filing a lawsuit or claim. You may be responsible for paying things like filing fees, postage, copies of documents and records, deposition costs, expert witness costs, or independent examination costs. Sometimes the law firm will pay these expenses and expect you to pay them back later. Other times, they may ask for the money as the case proceeds. Still, you might have a firm that absorbs all those costs for you. Either way, you’ll need to know before you hire a lawyer.
What Do the Reviews Say About the Law Firm?
People tend to review when they have really great or really awful experiences. In both cases, you’ll want to know what past clients are saying about the firm so you can make an informed decision.
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