Questions to Ask a Potential Auto Accident Lawyer

    GOLDEN, CO, March 30, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- When choosing an auto accident lawyer to seek compensation for your injuries, you should take care to find the most qualified attorney for your case. To make sure you find the right attorney, you should not be shy in asking questions. During your initial consultation or case evaluation, do not be surprised if the lawyer asks most of the questions. The lawyer is trying to decide if he wants to take the case. After that, it's your turn to ask the questions.

Areas You Want to Cover

Go into your meeting with the auto accident lawyer carrying a list of questions so you don't miss any important points. Make sure you cover all the following:

- Legal background and experience
- Legal philosophy
- Case management
- Assessment of your case
- Fees and expenses

If you cover all these areas, you will likely have a good basis for comparison among lawyers so you can select the right one for your case.

Background and Experience

You want to find out about your potential lawyer's education and experience. There are many ways to get at this, and the questions you ask can be based on material you already know about a lawyer from his website or previous contact. You should, however, ask about:

- Legal education: When did you graduate? Did your education prepare you for handling auto accident cases? Have you undergone any additional training related to auto accident cases?
- Experience with auto accident cases: How many auto accident cases have you handled? How many have you taken to trial? Can you give me examples of recent cases you consider successful?

Legal Philosophy

You want to know not only your lawyer's qualifications, but how he uses them. Some areas you should cover include:

- Emphasis: Do you handle other cases beside auto accident cases? If so, what percentage of your total cases is made up of auto accidents?
- Approach: How do you like to handle cases? Is it better to settle or go to trial? What do you consider a successful resolution for a case?
- Control: If you take my case, is it still mine? Who should make decisions about how to proceed in the case?

Case Management

Case management describes how your case will be handled by the lawyer or law firm. It can further illuminate aspects of a lawyer's philosophy and approach. Some areas to cover, include:

- Representation: Will you be the one handling my case? Will you personally appear in negotiations and in court? Will you receive assistance from other lawyers and paralegals?
- Contact: How often should I expect to hear from you? Will you provide me with progress reports? How often and how detailed? If I need to contact you, will I be able to?

Assessment of Your Case

You need to know what your lawyer thinks of your case going in. Areas to cover include:

- Odds of success: How likely is my case to succeed? Do you think we will get a favorable settlement or have to go to trial?
- Factors affecting success: What aspects of the case make success more likely? Which ones work against us? Is there anything I can do to improve or harm my case?
- Damages: What damages are you going to seek in my case? What do you think we might actually be able to get?
- Timeframe: How long do you expect this case to take? Will arbitration or mediation speed the resolution? Does the long time frame make an early settlement for less desirable?

Fees and Expenses

Although most personal injury lawyers advertise that they work on a contingency basis, which means they collect no fees unless you win your case, this does not mean you will not have to pay anything for your case. Here are some questions to ask about fees:

- Fees: Do you work on a contingency basis or charge an hourly rate? Will you take the same fees even if my settlement/verdict is less than expected?
- Expenses: Will I have to pay expenses in this case? How much do you estimate they will be? Can we split expenses if the case fails? Is financing available for expenses?

If you cover all of these areas when talking to potential auto accident lawyers, you will get a very good idea of how lawyers compare and which one is right for you and your case.

To learn more about choosing the right auto accident lawyer for your case, please visit the website of the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, PC.

Website: http://www.anthonycarbonepc.com

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