Choosing an attorney is not much different than selecting the right professional to assist you with other specifications that you may have. Your ultimate goal should be to hire a lawyer with the ideal skills, experience and expertise to meet your legal requirements. Many attorneys are general practitioners who manage numerous types of cases. Your goal should be to find a lawyer with a lot of experience with the type of issue that you have. In the personal injury field, there are numerous lawyers who deal with fairly non-complex cases, but relatively few who manage complicated personal injury cases such as personal injury or medical malpractice. You may have to do a significant amount of research to locate these types of lawyers. Should you have a complicated situation, look for an attorney that has knowledge about the issues with your particular type of case. Ask the lawyer for his or her “track record” with cases like yours. Check out their websites to determine if they have effectively dealt with such matters. You do not want a generalist cutting their teeth with your case.

What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

This is the question on every new client’s mind when they first encounter a lawyer. Most experienced personal injury attorneys will have a pretty good idea of the value of a case when the client first calls them. Even so, the ultimate determination of the value of an injury depends on numerous variables that are probably not known when the client first contacts the attorney. The value of a case is dependent not only on the nature and magnitude of the injuries sustained, but also on the factual circumstances of the incident which caused the injuries. A substantial injury could have less value because the liability issues may be unclear. Oftentimes, the value of a claim is decreased because of the relative negligence of the individual filing the claim. Many of these elements will not be identified until the attorney investigates the claim or begins the lawsuit. The lawyer’s task is to advise the client whether an offer of settlement is fair and then let the client come to a decision.

How Long Will My Case Last?

A seasoned attorney can provide you with basic guidelines regarding how long the case may take to resolve. In most cases, the more complicated the case, the longer it takes. Often a somewhat easy case can take quite a long time to resolve due to disputed legal responsibility or medical causation issues. Most attorneys will not make an effort to resolve a case before the client has reached a medical outcome. That is the point where the individual has either recovered or has arrived at a level where a doctor has determined that the patient will not improve any further. The main reason the case is not resolved until the medical outcome is reached is that the attorney needs to be aware of any long term consequences. Your attorney should be able to inform you at the start of the case roughly how long it will take to resolve. Because every claim is unique, there is no general timeframe. A straightforward case could take six months to resolve. A complicated case could take five to seven years.

Will My Case Go To Trial?

The majority of personal injury and medical malpractice cases are resolved by settlement. However, before the attorney understands the facts of the incident which led to the injury and the dynamics and degree of the injuries, the attorney cannot claim with any amount of certainty how long the case will take or whether the case will go to court. The main factor is how long it takes for the individual to reach a medical end result. The value of a case cannot be established until the client is finished treating their injuries. An attorney who takes on a case with the notion that it will have to go to trial routinely gets the best end result by way of settlement. If an attorney has a track record of only settling cases out of court, you may not want to hire them. Choose an attorney who has tried many cases!

How Much Will It Cost To Have My Case Handled?

The majority of attorneys take personal injury and medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis. The most common procedure in personal injury cases is for the attorney to receive a fee of 1/3 of the collection. In medical malpractice cases there is often a graduated fee which is arranged by statute. Most attorneys will pay for the up front costs associated with pursuing the claim. Some attorneys may ask the client to front the money for expenses. In the instance the case is lost, the client loses those funds. Most attorneys can tell a client ahead of time if the client has to pay expenses in advance. Otherwise, the case should not cost the client anything out of pocket. Be wary of the medical malpractice attorney who charges a flat fee to evaluate a case. Some attorneys will ask the client for $5,000 to $10,000 to review a case. In all likelihood, that attorney is generating an income reviewing cases, instead of actually taking on the case and representing the client.

What Is The Process After I Hire An Attorney?

At the start of the case, the attorney will meet with you in regards to the incident, your background and any related elements to the case. You will sign authorizations so the lawyer can obtain your medical records. Under most state laws, a hospital or doctor is prohibited from releasing your medical records or any information concerning medical care without a written authorization signed by you. The attorney will also review and have you sign a contingent fee agreement which explains the terms of the representation. The next phase of the case is the preliminary investigation to find out the details of the incident and the dynamics of the injuries sustained. After analysis, the attorney will mail a claim letter to the liable party and establish contact with their insurance company. If a law suit is filed, the client will answer prepared questions, give a deposition and testify at trial.