What You Need to Know Before Talking to an Injury Attorney

Talking to a lawyer is the first step someone should take after receiving medical care for their injuries.

It is important to start working with a lawyer right away, but it's still crucial to find the right lawyer to work with. Before talking with any injury attorney, learn more about what to know and look for in an attorney to handle your case. 

Set Up a Consultation to Meet Lawyers

It's a good idea to set up at least a few consultations with lawyers to learn more about them. A consultation with lawyers like those from Abel and Annes Personal Injury Lawyers offers the chance to find out if a lawyer is going to be good for the case, if they're going to be easy to work with, and if they're going to try hard to get the client as much compensation as possible for the injuries. 

Look for Lawyers with Experience

When setting up consultations, look for lawyers who have experience handling that type of case. If a lawyer typically handles slip and fall accidents and has not worked on many car accident cases, they're likely not a good option for a client who has been in a car accident. Always check to make sure they have sufficient experience so they know what to do and how to handle the case. 

Review the Lawyer's Prior Cases

Look into the lawyer's prior cases to learn more about them. Were the cases settled or did they go to court? How much money did the injured person receive? How long did it take to get a settlement? There are no right answers for how a case should end, but getting information about prior cases can help show how the attorney handles the cases they work on. 

Check How Legal Fees are Handled

For personal injury cases, attorneys generally work on a contingency or contingent fee schedule. This means that the lawyer doesn't get paid unless their client receives a settlement. For a client, this means no money is needed upfront and they don't have to worry about paying any fees if they do not win the case. 

Ask for and Check References

Lawyers should have clients that are willing to talk about their case and how the lawyer helped them. Ask for a list of references and call the references to see how they liked working with the lawyer and whether they feel the lawyer did as much as possible to help them get the money they deserved. 

Ask Plenty of Questions During the Consultation

Create a list of questions to ask the attorney before the consultation and go through the list to get answers. Most cases will end in a settlement, while few will go to trial. There are some cases that do not end with a trial or settlement. Ask the attorney how they think the case will proceed, what the chances are of a settlement being offered, and the chances of the case having to go to trial, among other questions. 

If you've been injured, hiring an attorney should be done as soon as possible after you've received the medical care needed. Before hiring an attorney, however, go through the tips here and make sure you know what to look for so you can find an attorney who will work hard to get you a better outcome.