For any person who is involved in a car crash, it is very hectic. Insurance companies usually tend to investigate the whole situation before planning to payout any money. Sometimes, the insurance companies deny the insurance amount to their clients, claiming that the accident was sabotage by the owner. In these situations, the case usually goes to the court. For these reasons, it is quite important for a victim to hire a personal injury lawyer to help extract the insurance money from the company. Moreover, there are a few things one needs to verify with the lawyer before hiring. They are:
1. What is the specialization of the lawyer?
This is a very important question to ask a lawyer. If the lawyer is not a specialized personal injury lawyer, then it doesn’t matter how good he/she is. At the end of the day, they may not be able to negotiate the matters as well as a person specializing in this area. But, in case the lawyer is a close relative or a very good friend, they can be hired because they have an emotional connection with the family and will usually not double-cross them.
Every lawyer having a regular practice knows the basics of laws on all fields but it is always advised to get a specialist lawyer for matters like this as there is a high chance that the insurance company will also hire a specialist lawyer.
2. Did the lawyer handle similar cases before?
This is again a valid question. One needs to be sure they have the best lawyer for their purpose. In these cases, experience matters a lot as for an experienced personal injury lawyer; it is easier to understand the steps the opposition might take. Also, knowing about the experience of the lawyer in such a case will also reveal the win percentage of the lawyer. Within lawyers, there is an unofficial code of conduct. Some ethical lawyers charge only when they can win the case. For such experienced lawyers, taking of a case depends on the condition of the case, i.e. they will take the case only if they are sure they will win it. On the other hand, there are a number of lawyers who tend to hoodwink clients and will take both the case and the money regardless of the outcome.
3. Can he/she handle the defendant?
This is one of the most important virtues of the hired lawyer, their ability to predict the steps of the opposition and counter correctly. When a lawyer can do this, the case is already half won. A young and new lawyer, with less experience won’t be able to do this, unless they were previously employed by insurance companies.
4. Does the lawyer interact personally with the client?
This is another important factor in hiring a lawyer. If a client goes to a big firm, the usual case is that a junior of the main senior lawyer who comes to interact with the client. These situations sometimes create a communication gap between the client and lawyer, which is not something good. In that case, it is better to approach a smaller firm, where the client can communicate personally with the senior lawyer.