In the unfortunate event that you are in an accident, you may need to hire an experienced personal injury attorney. You might ask yourself "what questions should I ask the personal injury attorney I am looking to hire?" There are the top 5 important questions to ask your personal injury attorney!
What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?
Before hiring a personal injury lawyer, you should always establish what their fees are before signing anything! If you think you may not be able to afford a lawyer, almost every personal injury attorney will work on a contingency agreement. This agreement states that the personal injury attorney will take a percentage of the settlement offer in a case. In most cases, a personal injury attorney will cover costs out of their own pocket and recoup their costs once the case is finalized. In the state of Florida, the fees are twofold. They are based on a contingency fee which means nothing will be paid unless there is a settlement. If there is, you will pay 33 1/3% prior to filing a lawsuit. If a lawsuit is filed, this fee will raise up to 40%. It is likely you will never have to lay out money upfront in order to retain a personal injury attorney.
Who Pays the Costs in My Personal Injury Case?
In most cases, you are responsible for all costs that the attorney's office has in litigating your case. These fees are typically not paid upfront and are paid out of the final settlement just like an attorney fee. If you feel you may be unable to pay your medical bills before your case is settled, you can read about alternative methods of payment here.
Will My Personal Injury Case Go To Trial?
Nearly all cases will settle out of court without ever having to go to trial. Most cases will also never reach the lawsuit phase as they tend to settle directly with the insurance company.
Reasons Your Case May Settle Before Trial
- If the defendant’s insurance company is confident that your personal injury lawsuit will succeed in court, they may choose to settle beforehand and avoid having to pay attorney’s fees and other additional court costs.
- The settlement your attorney is requesting is insignificant enough that it will be cheaper to simply settle rather than spend the money on attorney’s fees and court costs.
- The settlement offered by the defendant’s insurance company is fair and comparable to what you’d win with a verdict.
Reasons Your Case May Go to Trial
- The defendant’s insurance company feels that they will win the case so they offer a lowball settlement or none at all.
- The insurance company doesn’t want to set a precedence for settling your type of personal injury lawsuit.
- The monetary amount demanded by your attorney is far too high for the insurance company to settle without fighting.
What Is My Role in My Personal Injury Case?
In a personal injury case, you are or were injured. Your job is to treat yourself appropriately with any doctors or specialists you are seeing related to your potential injuries. If you had a back or neck injury, you may be seeing an orthopedic doctor, physical therapist, and/or chiropractor. It is your duty when being injured in an accident to immediately get on the path to recovery. In addition to recovery, your personal injury lawyer may need specific documents, photos, or interviews from you. Just as not listening to your doctor can result in greater injury, not listening to your lawyer can decrease the value of your case. It's also best to stay off all social media until your case is settled for reasons that can be used against you.
What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
This depends on many factors. First and foremost, it depends on YOU. If you want to make sure you have the best chance of winning your personal injury case at the highest value, then take a look at some of the biggest factors that can affect your odds which can include what your injuries are and how it has affected your life. Having an experienced personal injury attorney on your side can also help your case. You can read about what your personal injury case may be worth by clicking here.
The best way to maximize compensation and be protected after a car accident is to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer. The Law Offices of Matthew Konecky will fight on your behalf while you recover from an injury. Call our office today at (561) 671-5995 to find out how we can help you.
