When you get hurt in an accident someone else caused, it's an understatement to say that it's a difficult, stressful time. You're fighting to get compensation for your injuries and losses, but the insurance company is pressing you to sign away your rights on a lowball offer. This is exactly when you should hire a personal injury attorney. Television and billboards are full of lawyer ads, but you don't know anything about any of these people. How do you know you are trusting the right personal injury attorney? What do you ask? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know when hiring an Austin personal injury attorney and how to tell if you've found the right law firm to help you!
Everything You Need to Know When Hiring an Austin Personal Injury Attorney
The first thing to keep in mind when meeting an injury lawyer is that the initial interview goes both ways. Many attorneys offer a free case review to determine how they can best help you, but you are interviewing them as much as they are reviewing your case. The most important thing to know about hiring a lawyer for personal injury cases is that this is a relationship. You need someone you can trust, someone you can count on, and someone who cares about you and treats you like a member of their own family. Don’t settle for less. You deserve an attorney who can confidently look you in the eyes and say, "We're on top of it!" Here are some questions you'll want to ask to make sure you are working with the right personal injury law firm.
Asking what your case is worth should be used as a trick question. You're not looking for an attorney to immediately give you a number. If they do give you a number right off the bat, before even hearing about your case, it's a red flag. Every injury case is unique, and your injuries are unlike anyone else's. The right attorney will recognize that and put in the time you deserve. The wrong attorney will try to streamline the process, which could damage your case and the final amount you could receive. A good attorney will tell you that they can't give you a number without first reviewing your case. They will need to hear the facts first to learn about you and how your injuries have affected your ability to live life. Only then can they estimate what they think your case is worth. Your attorney should discuss that you can possibly get compensated for medical bills, lost wages, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and other losses, but they should never give you a number upfront.
Every attorney has a fee. Most attorneys advertise that they work on a contingency basis, meaning that you won't pay anything upfront and that there's no fee if you don't win your case. At Lorenz & Lorenz Accident & Injury Lawyers PLLC, we also work on that same contingency basis. But, you'll want to know ahead of time what their fee is if you do win. For most attorneys who work on contingency, the fee will be a percentage of your settlement. If, for example, the attorney's fee is 30%, that means if you get a $100,000 settlement, you will receive $70,000 of that and the rest will cover your legal costs. Another red flag to look out for is if the attorney waves off their fee, or avoids telling you what the fee is. You have the right to know upfront what you will have to pay if you win your case.
Most personal injury cases never go to court. That being said, you want an attorney who has some experience in court in the unlikely case they will need to take your case to court. If they have never gone to court, they might not be a successful negotiator. They might also be afraid to go to court, which is never a confident sign. Litigation experience is as important as negotiation skills. In the end, you want an attorney with a solid track record of negotiating good settlements out of court, but who also has a track record of winning when they go to court. Be sure they're prepared either way.