Tips on How to Choose a Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer for your Personal Injury Case
If you are the victim of a car accident that resulted in a personal injury, you may want a motor vehicle accident lawyer District Heights MD residents believe in. There are many lawyers practicing in the Maryland area, so finding the one who best suits you may feel overwhelming.
The Cohen & Cohen legal team works hard to protect the rights of motor vehicle accident victims. Our attorneys have a thorough understanding of the law and how it applies to personal injury victims seeking justice. This article may help you choose a motor vehicle accident lawyer District Heights MD trust by asking attorneys a few important questions.
Request a Consultation
First, ask for a consultation. A motor vehicle accident lawyer District Heights MD victims turn to for help will be happy to meet with you for a brief initial consultation. Our attorneys at Cohen & Cohen do this on a regular basis, free of charge. During the consultation you will want to:
- Ask questions that you’ve prepared ahead of time. If you have them in writing, leave room for you to write the answers and make notes.
- Before the meeting, make copies of the following for the lawyer to review:
- Your accident-related receipts including medical costs
- A mechanic’s estimate for repairs to your vehicle
- If you vehicle was totalled in the accident, bring information about replacement costs
- A copy of the police report of the motor vehicle accident
- Printouts of any correspondence that you’ve had with the at-fault driver, insurance companies, and anyone else relevant to your personal injury case
- Any other pertinent information you’ve gather involving your accident
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer
Once at the consultation, there are a few key things you should try to address before agreeing to retain counsel:
Experience and Relevant Background
When looking for a motor vehicle accident lawyer in District Heights MD, focusing on their experience with similar cases can indicate if he or she is a good fit for you. Good questions to ask may, include:
- How many years have you practiced law?
- How many personal injury victims have you represented?
- How many personal injury cases have you handled?
- How many motor vehicle accident personal injury cases do you handle each year?
- How many car accident victims who suffered an injury similar to mine have you represented?
- How similar or different is my case from others you handle?
- Overall, about what percent of cases do you settle rather than take to trial?
An Assessment of Your Personal Injury Case
It’s important to know if the attorney believes your case is strong. If a motor vehicle accident lawyer District Heights MD offers is not enthusiastic about your chances of winning a settlement or lawsuit, they may not fully invest their efforts and resources into your case. More likely however, a top attorney will likely just decline to take your case in the first place if they don’t think they will be able to pursue the compensation you’re seeking. Regardless, you want their honest opinions on the following points:
- What is your assessment of my personal injury case?
- What are its strengths?
- What are its weaknesses?
- What are the chances of negotiating a settlement?
- How much compensation do you think I might receive?
- How long do you estimate it will take to reach a settlement?
- Do you think it’s likely that the case will have to go to trial?
- Should I consider arbitration or mediation?
- If yes, what is the process?
While, even the top motor vehicle accident lawyer District Heights MD can provide may not be about to definitively answer each of these questions at the initial consult, addressing these questions may help you establish whether or not their counsel will serve your best interests.
The Case Management Process
How an attorney manages their cases will vary by attorney and firm. It’s a good idea to know ahead of time how a motor vehicle accident lawyer District Heights MD trusts will likely manage your personal injury case. This can help minimize confusion from the very beginning and improve overall communication throughout the litigation process:
- Will you be the one managing my case?
- If not, who will that person be?
- What is that person’s experience relative to my personal injury case?
- Who will represent me in settlement negotiations?
- Who will represent me in court?
- Are any of these people available to meet with me before I decide on an attorney?
- Who will be my point of contact?
- Do they prefer text messages, emails, or phone calls?
- What is their typical turnaround time for responding to client questions/concerns?
- Will I receive progress reports until my case is resolved?
- How often will I receive them?
Lawyer and Legal Fees
A typical District Heights MD motor vehicle accident lawyer will bill their clients either on a contingency fee or by the hour. More often than not, they work on a contingency basis, which means they won’t request payment ahead of time. After your case is settled, they will take a percentage of your financial award as payment. Questions to ask on this subject may include:
- Do you work on a contingency fee basis?
- If so, what percentage of the settlement will you take?
- If you bill hourly, how much do you charge?
- Will I have to pay a retainer fee?
- How much is your retainer fee?
- If I don’t win the lawsuit, do I still have to pay you?
- How much?
- In addition to charging me for your time, what else will I have to pay for?
- What do you estimate I’ll be paying in total?
- What do you estimate I’ll walk away with in terms of funds after paying all my court costs and attorney fees?
At the conclusion of your initial consultation, review your notes to make sure you haven’t forgotten to ask any questions. You may wish to ask them if there are questions you didn’t ask, but should have. Let them know your timetable on when you’ll make your decision as to who you will hire to represent you.
Your Choice for a Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer District Heights MD Victims Believe In
Cohen & Cohen is a legal firm with many years of experience successfully handling personal injury cases that resulted from automotive accidents. One of our attorneys will be happy to meet with you for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. If you would like to have a motor vehicle accident lawyer District Heights MD relies on for personal injury cases, call Cohen & Cohen at (703) 548-4529 today.
