Personal Injury Attorney: Questions You May Have

If you’ve been involved in an accident and are thinking of hiring a personal injury attorney, you probably have a lot of questions on your mind. This is only natural. It can be nerve-wracking thinking about going forth with a lawsuit. You are constantly wondering if you are doing the right thing and if you will choose the right lawyer. If you don’t have a great deal of understanding about the topic of lawsuits and settlements, here are the answers to a few of the questions you might have. Of course, the best way to get information about your specific case is to make an appointment with a lawyer and talk it out over an initial consultation.

How Much Can I Get?
This is usually one of the first questions on the minds of everyone looking to hire a personal injury attorney. The curiosity is natural, but it isn’t an easy question to answer. There are several factors that play into a settlement decision, including medical bills, lost wages, future earning potential, and suffering. Some of these are somewhat intangible in nature and are therefore left to the judgment of a jury or negotiations between the parties. Once the medical records can be evaluated and the bills quantified, however, you can get a much better ballpark figure of what you should be entitled to.

How Much Time Will My Lawyer Put In?
Everyone wants to know that the personal injury attorney they hire is going to be working on the case day and night until a settlement has been reached. This is, of course, an unrealistic expectation. Some cases will need very little time compared with others. This doesn’t mean the lawyer you have hired is shirking his responsibilities. At the same time, of course, you want someone who will give your case the due attention it deserves. But every case is different. The important thing is to find a lawyer who has a sterling reputation, as you will get the same treatment his other clients received.

How Will The Money Come?
Again, this is different from case to case. With smaller settlements, you may get a check that covers everything all at once. If the settlement is a large one, you might have to be satisfied with staggered payments over a period of years. This is particularly true when bringing suits against insurance companies, who can’t have a lot of funds flying out the door on a single case. There are companies that will buy your settlement payments for a lump sum, but you will typically have to give up a significant percentage of your money to get it. The best idea is usually to wait for the payments to come in, although this may not be a realistic situation, depending on your current financial state.