3 Important Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Car Accident Attorney
Were you involved in an automobile accident relatively recently? Are you looking for a car accident attorney to handle the case but you're not sure how to choose the right one for you? It's extremely easy to find an attorney with a quick internet search but that doesn't necessarily let you know much about them besides that they are an attorney. Before you hire anyone to take the case for you, it's a good idea to ask a variety of questions in order to their suitability for your case. Some of the questions that you might want to ask include:
What sort of fees do you charge? While you won't have to pay the fees directly out of your own pocket, the percentage that a car accident attorney will take from your settlement will vary depending on both location and law firm. Some may take as low as 25% of your settlement while others will ask for around one-third of the money. Regardless of how much it is, you should always find out ahead of time exactly what you'll be expected to pay. If the case happens to be unsuccessful for some reason, he or she should not charge you anything for his or her services.
How strong of a case is this? Your likelihood of getting a sizable settlement is going to depend on a variety of factors. If your car accident attorney is confident in the case, you should have your money much faster than if your attorney is relatively ambivalent about matters. The more evidence in your favor, the better chance you have of finding an enthusiastic attorney who expects a speedy settlement. If you don't have much evidence on your side, you might not be able to find anyone who is willing to take on your case.
How much time is left? Due to the statute of limitations, an invisible clock starts ticking after every accident. Some states allow a couple years after an accident for a lawsuit to be filed. Other states only give you a few months before your lawsuit must be filed. If you attempt to file a lawsuit after this arbitrary time limit is up, your case will be rejected and thrown out. If you've had to spend a significant amount of time recovering in the hospital before contacting a car accident attorney, the available time to file a lawsuit may be running out. Your attorney would then need to gather a case in a relatively short amount of time in order to file before the deadline.
