When looking for a car accident attorney and once you have hired your lawyer, the answers to several questions may help you:

• Choose a qualified attorney for your case
• Determine whether your attorney is giving your case due attention
• Ensure that you remain informed about the progress of your case

Consider asking these questions at various stages of your case.

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Questions to Ask Any Lawyer You Are Considering Hiring for Your Car Accident Case

Asking the right questions can ensure that you hire the right attorney for your case. Questions you should ask prospective car accident attorneys include:

How Often Do You Handle Car Accident Cases?

Though most personal injury law firms represent car accident victims, some focus on these case types more intently than others.

You might ask a prospective attorney:

• How many car accident cases are you handling at any given time?
• What strategies do you use to win a car accident case?
• Can you dedicate sufficient resources to my car accident case?
• Who will be handling my case?

A law firm should understand car accident cases if you hire them for yours. If a given firm cannot display sufficient familiarity, there is another firm that will. These cases are common enough that you should not settle for an inexperienced firm or a firm whose practice areas are primarily focused elsewhere.

What Are Your Results in Car Accident Cases?

The fact that a law firm regularly handles car accident cases is a good start. Just as important, though, is how the law firm has performed in those cases.

Ask about a law firm’s case results in prominent car accident cases, including:

• Insurance settlements
• Settlements resulting from lawsuits
• Judgments achieved through a trial

Some law firms post their case results on their websites. Even so, you may ask a prospective law firm about case results to get the latest figures.

How Long Have You Repsented Car Accident Victims?

Experience is an important criterion when searching for a car accident lawyer. You should ask a law firm how long they have been operating, how experienced the lawyer who will handle your case is, and how long the firm has dealt with car accident cases.

The more experienced a law firm is, the more its lawyers will understand how to overcome the challenges of a car accident case and strategies that may produce a financial recovery.

What Is Your Firm’s Fee Structure?

Some lawyers’ fees depend on the outcome of a case. That is, a law firm only collects a fee if they get compensation for the client.

Contingency fees are standard among car accident lawyers.

These fees often make sense because:

• The client pays no upfront fee to the law firm, ensuring that any car accident victim can get legal services.
• Law firms can accept cases based on their merit rather than a client’s ability to pay upfront or out-of-pocket.
• Personal injury law firms generally have the financial resources to cover the upfront cost of a case, while a car accident victim may not.
• The contingency fee structure aligns the client and lawyer’s motives—if the law firm wins, the client wins too.

While most car accident lawyers offer a contingency fee, you should ask law firms about their fee structures before you hire them for your case.

Why Should I Hire You to Lead My Car Accident Case?

It is okay to ask an attorney point blank: Why should I hire you? Any car accident attorney should have a clear, compelling answer to this question.

This may be among the final questions you ask a law firm. If an attorney has the necessary experience, results, and an acceptable fee structure, you might then ask for their final pitch to lead your case.

Questions to Ask an Attorney Once Your Case Has Begun

You should expect to have regular contact with your lawyer once your case has begun. A car accident case can take months or longer to resolve, and you should know where your case stands.

How Much Compensation Do I Deserve?

You should ask your attorney how much compensation they plan to seek for you.

You may then ask:

• How did you come up with this figure?
• Have you accounted for any future damages I might suffer?
• Will this amount, less your attorney’s fee, be enough to cover my damages?

You may write this figure down. Remember it so that if your attorney comes to you with a settlement offer from liable parties, you can decide whether the offer is fair.

What Is the Status of My Case?

As the legal process wears on, you may want to know where your case stands.

A capable law firm will:

1. Provide updates anytime circumstances in your case change
2. Update you when there are extended periods of inactivity, ensuring that you are never out of the loop

A law firm does not always control the legal process. There may be periods when the firm has done everything in its power to move your case forward but must wait for other parties to complete specific steps. If you’re ever wondering where your case stands, don’t hesitate to reach out to your law firm and ask.

What Are You Doing to Resolve My Case?

You should not ask this in an accusatory manner. If you are not clear on what a law firm is doing to resolve your case, it is fair to ask. This question may be especially relevant if it has been a long time since you have received an update or if you feel like the legal process has been at a standstill.

Have I Received Any Settlement Offers?

If you know that your lawyer has engaged in settlement negotiations, feel free to ask if they have received any offers.

Do You Think These Offers Are Fair?

Your lawyer may advise you on the fairness of a settlement offer without you having to ask. If they don’t, though, you may ask your attorney if a given offer is a fair one.

Do You Plan to Settle or Go to Trial?

You may ask this question before the law firm starts your case or at any point during the legal process. If your attorney has engaged in settlement negotiations but has yet to receive a fair offer, this question may be worth asking.

Personal Injury Cases Would Not Exist Without a Client, So Don’t Trust Yours to Just Any Law Firm

Do not feel like a law firm is doing you any favors. You are the victim of a car accident, and it is a personal injury lawyer’s job to get fair compensation for your damages. A law firm will require a percentage of your recovery—they are not doing a charitable act.

Without car accident victims like you, personal injury firms can not do their business. Therefore, you should feel completely confident in asking questions. Never feel like you are doing something unreasonable, as the law firm works to serve you.

Who Hires a Lawyer After a Car Accident?

You may hire a car accident attorney if:

1. You have suffered injuries in a car accident
2. You have lost a loved one from injuries they suffered in a car accident

Car accident victims sometimes handle insurance claims on their own. However, there are several reasons to consider hiring an attorney, even if you don’t feel like your injuries are severe.

Car accident victims hire attorneys because:

• Insurance companies do not always act in good faith: Insurers have a financial motivation to pay car accident victims as little compensation as possible. An insurer may deny your claim, push a lowball settlement, misconstrue your words or actions, or engage in other bad-faith tactics. You can never assume that an insurance company will pay what you deserve.
• They want to focus on recovery: Your health is the most important consideration after a car accident. Many injuries that result from car accidents, including whiplash, leave the victim in a fragile state. By hiring an attorney, you may protect yourself from stress and other hazards that can worsen your health.
• They are not confident in leading their own cases: Even an insurance claim can prove highly complicated, especially if you’ve suffered severe injuries. If you need to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, your case may become substantially more complex. Many car accident victims will rather rely on an experienced lawyer than navigate the legal or insurance process on their own.

Prioritize your recovery or mourn the loss of a loved one. However, you need to file your lawsuit or claim in a timely manner. By hiring an attorney, you can ensure that you focus on your well-being while your lawyer focuses on your financial recovery.

How Attorneys Help Car Accident Victims

A lawyer will manage every aspect of your car accident case, including:

Determining Liability for Your Damages

Negligent parties in a car accident case can include:

• A motorist who causes an accident
• A manufacturer that produces a defective vehicle or component
• A municipality responsible for dangerous road conditions, defective equipment, or other hazards that cause an accident
• An employer whose employee causes a car accident

Your lawyer will review all relevant facts and evidence to determine who owes you compensation for your damages.

Documenting Your Damages

Your lawyer will calculate the cost of your damages to determine a fair settlement value.

Your attorney will work to get proof of each of your damages, which may include:

• X-rays, CT scans, and other images of your injuries
• Doctors’ diagnoses of your injuries
• Testimony from experts about your damages
• Medical bills
• Past pay records to prove your lost income
• Invoices for vehicle repairs

Your attorney may use other types of documentation to prove damages. Each case is unique, and your attorney’s job is to get any records that show your accident-related damages.

Seeking a Settlement

Your attorney will seek a settlement on your behalf.

During settlement negotiations, your lawyer may:

• Make oral arguments
• Present evidence of liable parties’ negligence
• Explain their calculation of your damages
• Present documentation of your damages
• Counter any arguments made by liable parties or their attorneys

Your attorney should push for liable parties to provide the settlement you deserve. If necessary, your lawyer should take your case to trial.

Retain an Attorney Today to Seek Justice for a Car Accident—Consultations Are Typically Free

Do not wait to hire a personal injury law firm in Missouri after your car accident. There may be a deadline for reporting your accident and filing related litigation.

Research and call a local car accident attorney today. These law firms likely offer free consultations, and you now know which questions to ask prospective attorneys!