Everything You Need to Know About Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you’ve been in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be thinking about filing a car accident claim and hiring an attorney to help you through the process. Before moving forward with this decision, make sure that you have all of the evidence necessary to back up your claim against the other driver.

Although you might think that photographs of your vehicle after the crash are enough, they are actually only one piece of evidence among many that can be used to prove liability in an accident case. To learn everything you need to know about obtaining evidence for your car accident claim, keep reading.

What kind of cases do they take?

A personal injury lawyer deals with cases where the injuries are caused by another person or entity's negligence. A wide range of accidents, such as car collisions, falls, and botched medical procedures may qualify. 

You'll want to ensure that you are speaking with an experienced lawyer who has dealt with these types of cases before. Some lawsuits must be handled through the civil courts and others through the criminal justice system--a knowledgeable attorney will be able to help you determine which one is more appropriate for your particular case. Although hiring a lawyer is not necessary for all types of personal injury claims, it is essential for those where there are losses in excess of $25,000. 

The lawyers at Lewis & Flynn have successfully represented clients in numerous different types of personal injury cases, including auto accident cases involving rear-end collisions, side-impact collisions, head-on collisions, and single vehicle accidents. They also have experience representing people who were injured due to slip and fall incidents or unsafe conditions on someone else's property. If you have been injured because of someone else's carelessness but do not know what type of lawsuit is right for you, call Lewis & Flynn today!

What qualifications do they have?

Obtaining all of the relevant evidence, such as images and recordings, that you may need during a car accident claim is an important step in pursuing justice. These types of evidence will help establish liability by capturing the moments right before, during, and after the incident. That said, making sure you have sufficient evidence at your disposal is not always easy. This is where working with a good lawyer becomes particularly valuable because they can help to retrieve this kind of data should it become necessary. 

A personal injury attorney with experience handling similar cases has an established network of sources that can provide information which may be difficult or even impossible for someone going through this process alone to get. For example, they are able to request surveillance footage from businesses near the site of the accident so that you can see what happened just before the crash. An experienced lawyer will also know who to call if there were any witnesses on scene when the collision occurred.

What are their hourly rates?

Lawyers are expensive, but they do provide an invaluable service. Hourly rates vary by location and experience, but a general estimate is around $200-350 per hour in the United States. Most lawyers can be hired on a contingency basis (meaning they only get paid if you win) or a sliding scale (where you pay what you can afford). If your car accident claim has already been denied, it might make sense to work with a lawyer that will work pro bono (without charging fees). However, keep in mind that there are limitations to when this is possible. 

The following questions are important when choosing a lawyer: How many years of experience does the lawyer have? Do they specialize in cases like yours? Are their hourly rates reasonable for your budget? Is there anything about them that makes you uncomfortable? 

It’s important to find a good fit so that both parties can come out satisfied from the process.

How much experience do they have?

It is important to find a lawyer who has a lot of experience. They will know all the pitfalls and tricks that the insurance company will try and pull in order to avoid paying you. They will know how the whole process works, making it much easier on you. A good lawyer can guide you through everything, so there are no surprises waiting down the road.

You should start by asking people around your circle of friends or family members if they have any recommendations, or look on social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn and search good car accident lawyers. Be sure to check out their profile before interviewing them so that you know what kind of experience they have.

Do they work on contingency?

A contingency fee agreement is an arrangement in which the lawyer works on a plaintiff's case and does not charge any fees unless he or she wins. This type of contract will result in the attorney only getting paid if he/she wins. For example, say your injury claim is worth $50,000; your lawyer may take a third (i.e., $16,666) while you would get the rest ($33,333). 

Lawyers typically receive 33% of what they win in court. The upside to this is that it doesn't cost anything upfront, so the client doesn't have to come up with a large sum before filing a lawsuit like they would if they had chosen hourly rates. Another downside, however, is that there can be a delay before being awarded any funds because you are waiting for compensation as long as your case takes to settle. If it goes all the way through trial and appeals without settling out beforehand then even more time has passed without compensation-which means your need for legal representation can become direr as time goes by!

How much can they really get for me?

A car accident attorney will be able to look at the car accident and any other evidence that you have. This includes photos of the car, property damage, or photos of the accident scene. If there were any eyewitnesses they may be able to help out with estimating the speed or giving a description of what they saw. All this information can help prove liability and collect more damages in your claim. 

For example, if someone ran a red light, an eyewitness might be able to come forward and say that he/she saw the light turn yellow before the person ran it. This would then tell an insurance company that driver is at fault because he should have stopped at the time that he had seen yellow instead of running it when it was red.

Don’t wait to file your claim, time is running out!

If you’ve been in a car accident and want to file a claim, it’s important that you act quickly. According to the law, an injury claim must be filed within a year of the accident, while property damage claims must be filed within three years. 

If your damages exceed $2,000 then you have to have a licensed adjuster investigate the incident and calculate any applicable expenses such as lost wages or hospital bills. An adjuster also helps determine if someone else was at fault for your car accident. 

A licensed public adjuster is not necessary for private settlements between parties that total less than $2,000 in value but it can sometimes be useful in complex cases involving insurance disputes. To make sure that you get everything you deserve from your car accident claim, don't wait too long to contact a lawyer.