Hiring a personal injury lawyer is a critical step after any accident. If you choose the wrong lawyer, you could feel frustrated the entire time and walk away from the case with too little in compensation. The right lawyer does more than expertly negotiate a settlement. They also make clients feel involved in the process.
To help in finding the right lawyer, you can schedule a consultation. During this meeting, a lawyer can provide some information about the claims process and answer any questions you might have.
We list some of the most important questions to ask personal injury lawyers in this article, and we invite you to contact McCravy, Newlon, Sturkie & Clardy. You can schedule a consultation with an Anderson, SC personal injury lawyer.
7 Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer in South Carolina
Here are some questions to ask a personal injury lawyer in a consultation.
1. How Many Cases Like Mine Have You Handled?
Lawyers have widely different experiences in personal injury law. Some lawyers handle only one or two cases a year, while others make personal injury the center of their practice.
Personal injury cases vary as well. A truck accident case raises different questions than a car accident or pedestrian accident. Make sure your lawyer has deep experience in your specific type of accident. If you were involved in a car crash, ask them how many car accidents they have negotiated to a settlement and how many have gone to trial.
2. How Strong is My Legal Claim?
To win a personal injury case, you need to prove someone was at fault for your accident and injuries. That means you will need strong evidence showing you are not to blame for the accident. A lawyer can provide a preliminary estimate of the strength of your claim.
The lawyer should also point out if they need more information. For example, you might think you were injured by a defective product. We probably need to inspect the product before we have a solid idea of whether you can sue the manufacturer for a defect.
Likewise, we can only offer a preliminary estimate of the strength of a medical malpractice case. Typically, we need to dive into a patient’s medical records before we really know whether a provider failed to follow the accepted standard of care.
3. How Do You Communicate with Clients?
Communication is the cornerstone of the attorney-client relationship. Some lawyers do not respond to calls, and clients become frustrated because they don’t know what’s going on in their case. Ask a lawyer how they communicate with clients.
Some lawyers will send regular updates by email or letter. You might also have someone assigned to your case, like a case manager or paralegal, whom you can call for a case update.
Identifying how the lawyer communicates up front can make for a better working relationship as your case progresses.
4. What is Your Fee Rate?
This is one of the most important questions to ask your personal injury lawyer. You should not hire a lawyer until you understand how they charge for their services.
Personal injury lawyers in Anderson, SC usually work under a contingency fee arrangement. This means they will agree to accept a percentage of any settlement or jury award. In return, you do not have to pay any legal fees upfront.
Contingency fee arrangements shift the risk to a lawyer. If they do not win your case, you should not owe any fees.
Also, remember to ask about costs, which include things like copying, filing fees, and expert witness fees. Ask if these are handled differently from legal fees.
Contingency fees are usually expressed as a percentage of the client’s compensation. For example, a lawyer might agree to take a third of any settlement if your case is resolved quickly but accept 40% if your case goes to trial. You should also receive a written fee agreement if you hire the lawyer.
5. How Long Will My Case Take?
This is a good question to ask for various reasons. Until you receive a settlement, you will probably be fully responsible for your expenses, including medical care. You should get some general idea of how long a personal injury case takes to resolve so you can plan how to pay your bills.
6. Who Will Work on My Case?
Some lawyers handle all of the work, especially if they are part of a small firm. In larger firms, a paralegal or junior attorney might do all the work and the senior lawyer handles only critical matters, such as negotiation or mediation. Find out now who will be doing most of the legal work.
7. How Much is My Case Worth?
A lawyer cannot promise that you will receive any compensation. But they can use their experience to provide an estimate of how much your claim might be worth.
This is just an estimate, and the value of your claim can change over time. For example, you might only have begun receiving medical care. You will not know how much you spent until you reach maximum medical improvement. But a lawyer can certainly provide a rough estimate of how much people with similar injuries have received in settlements.
Avoid hiring a lawyer who promises that you will receive a certain amount of money. That lawyer is not behaving ethically.
Ready to Learn More? Call to Speak with an Anderson, SC Personal Injury Lawyer
McCravy, Newlon, Sturkie & Clardy is a prominent South Carolina personal injury law firm with hundreds of satisfied clients. Our office has tackled some of the most complicated accident cases over the years. We bring deep knowledge of the law to every case we accept in the 29625 zip code.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation with an attorney at our firm. We will answer your questions and provide an overview of the claims process. If you like what you hear, we can go ahead and formalize the attorney-client relationship and get started on your case.