6 Questions To Ask A Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured, you may be considering filing a lawsuit. It’s important to find the right legal representation.

The days and weeks following an injury are hard enough without entangling yourself in the wrong legal relationship. Save yourself future headaches by taking time now to research your options.

If you’re looking for great personal injury lawyers in Columbus, Ohio, here are six questions you should ask to help you make the right choice:

1. What are your fees?

Personal injury lawyers typically work on a contingency basis. This means you don’t pay them upfront, their fee is contingent on winning your case. Standard payments are about a third of your settlement, but be sure to inquire what other fees you might be responsible for.

2. Have you worked on a case similar to mine?

Unless your situation is wildly out of the ordinary, chances are you can find a personal injury lawyer who has experience working on similar cases. If you are interviewing a younger attorney, you might ask how much experience their firm has with cases like yours. Following this topic to its natural conclusion, you’ll also want to inquire after the resolutions of those cases.

3. What is the timeline?

Lawyers familiar with your kind of case should be able to give a realistic estimate of how long you can expect your case to take, and a general timeline of the process. Every case is unique, and many factors are out of your lawyers control, so expect this to be more of a general outline than a strict schedule.

4. What potential challenges can I expect?

You want a personal injury lawyer who is optimistic about your chances, but not one who will over promise or sugarcoat the process. Earnestly asking about potential problem areas in your case shows that you are a serious client able to hear the truth, and an honest response shows that you’re dealing with a serious lawyer who will be frank with you.

5. What happens if my case goes to trial?

Many personal injury cases will settle without ever going to trial. This is often preferable, as it is less expensive and less stressful. However, you want to be sure that if you aren’t satisfied with the settlement offered, your lawyer is willing and able to take your case to trial. New or increased fees can be expected if your case goes to trial. This is not unreasonable, but be sure to ask if and how your fees will change before you reach that point.

6. How will we communicate throughout the process?

While you don’t need to be kept apprised of every step in the process, you want to be sure that any personal injury lawyer you hire will be in communication regularly. Find out at what milestones the firm will update you, and who you can call if you have questions along the way.

Find a personal injury lawyer that works for you!

A personal injury lawyer will be your advocate, so don’t hesitate to ask any and all questions you may have about the process. Legal proceedings can be stressful, so find yourself a lawyer who makes you feel comfortable and confident.

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