Anyone can claim to be the best personal injury lawyer in Chatham, especially with the gift of anonymity that the internet provides. However, it is important before choosing to do some due diligence. Those who do not know how to go about this should benefit from the following question suggestions.
Contingency fee
Ask the prospective lawyer about their contingency fees since many personal injury fees are based on this amount. What this essentially means is that there will be no legal fees unless there is some sort of monetary recovery. If the injury case has merit, then there will be a lawyer willing to take it under these conditions. These fees are normally negotiable and range between 25 and 40 percent. Often, the stronger the case and the bigger the potential for damages and settlement, the bigger the fee becomes.
Loss
Apart from this contingency fee, many personal injury lawyers in Chatham will charge costs advanced, which could be substantial and are normally deducted from the client’s share of the settlement. The question to ask here is whether the client will still be responsible for these advanced costs if there is a loss. Make sure there is an assurance that even in the event that the case is unsuccessful, there will be no out of pocket expenses.
Experience
The possibility of huge payouts mean lawyers are normally hungry for such cases. Do not simply assume from their colorful and attractive ads that they have been doing this for a while and therefore are the best. Ask them to provide specifics on whether they have tried such cases before, and if so, how many and what were the outcomes? If possible, have them arrange calls with past clients and ask them about their experiences.
Time
In every industry, there are big names. But be careful when choosing these individuals to handle cases. Ask the prospective lawyer whether they will have the time to work on the case. Lawyers like to sign up clients, sit on their cases while concentrating on signing up even more clients. Choose only the firm or personal injury lawyer in Chatham that will devote their time and resources to the case. Choose a lawyer that will be available for questions, one who return calls and offer useful information and updates throughout the duration of the case. Any delays in such cases might cause the individual money they are entitled to, or end up harming their case.