When choosing a personal injury lawyer to represent you after being injured in a car crash, it's a good idea to consult with a few prospects before deciding who should represent you. This will ensure that you work well with your attorney and that they have the time and inclination to focus on your best interests. Here are a few things to think about when choosing which potential legal representative to work with:
Photographic Evidence
When consulting with potential personal injury lawyers and deciding which one to hire, consider how each of them will handle the photographic evidence that should be produced for presentation in your case. Visual evidence is powerful and can play a significant role regarding whether you win your case and how much compensation you're awarded when all is said and done.
Will they go to the site of the accident to take pictures of landmarks, skid marks on the road, and signs that help tell the story of what happened during the crash, or will you have to do it and submit the photos to them? When it comes to visually documenting the damage done to your vehicle, will your lawyer have it towed to a place where lighting won't produce glare so every little ding and scratch can be seen when photographed by a professional? The answers to questions like these will give you an idea of just how much support you can expect to get from each lawyer you consult with.
Negotiation Options
Any personal injury lawyers you consult with should have some basic negotiation plans in place when proposing their overall legal strategy for your case. Find out when each prospective attorney plans to start initial negotiations and what kinds of guidelines would be used when agreeing to discuss a lower compensation amount than you originally ask for. Is each lawyer you consult with willing to negotiate directly with the other party, or are negotiations reserved for insurance companies and legal representatives only?
Will you be a part of the negotiation process and have the final say on whether to accept an offer? The more you know about how the negotiation process works, the easier you can determine which potential lawyer is likely to go to bat for you regarding optimizing the outcome of your case.
Service Discount Opportunities
Due to your car crash, you probably have some vehicle damage to repair, and you may even have to rent a car to use while yours is in the shop. It doesn't hurt to ask the personal injury attorneys you consult with if they have access to any service discount opportunities that you can take advantage of.
For instance, you may find a lawyer that collaborates with a small car rental company in your area and can provide you with a discount when renting from them. Or you may be able to take advantage of special vehicle repair pricing when scheduling the services through your lawyer. Ask each prospect to provide you with a list of the perks that they offer in writing so you can compare them to one another.
Remember to consider the actual service costs of each lawyer you consult with when comparing the perks, as some perks may not make up for the higher cost of the legal representative. On the other hand, a lawyer that charges less than their counterparts may end up being more expensive overall after all the perks are taken into consideration.
Payment Requirements
You'll find that all lawyers have their own unique payment schedules that they abide by, but most offer contingency plans. A contingency plan means that you won't have to pay for the legal services you are provided unless your lawyer wins your car crash case and you're awarded monetary compensation. At this point, your attorney would be paid typically between 33 and 40 percent of your total awarded compensation.
So, in addition to comparing hourly rates, consultation fees, and court hearing costs, you'll want to consider interest rates and other charges that may be tacked onto a contingency plan if you choose to use one. You may find that paying for half or all of your legal fees upfront will save you quite a bit of money once your case is finally settled. To arrange a consultation, contact a a law firm like Hoffman, Hamer & Associates, PLLC.
