7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer in Garden Grove

According to the American Bar Association, there are 1,338,678 licensed, active attorneys in the US. If you’re the victim of a car accident, you know your efforts and attention should be focused on your recovery. Yet, you also need help with your case and need to find a personal injury lawyer. You might start with an online search and quickly narrow your search to a Garden Grove attorney who specializes in handling personal injury cases.

While you might be hoping to put the experience behind you and get the compensation you deserve, you also need the best attorney to stand up for your rights.

But how do you know who you should hire once you narrow your search? Read on for seven questions to ask the personal injury lawyer that should help you find the right one for your case.

1. What Is Your Background and Experience?

You want to hire a personal injury attorney who has both the background and experience to handle your case.

First, ask the attorney about their background in the law. How did they come to practice how and where they do? Many attorneys will also have detailed information on their websites which you can read before meeting with them in person.

Ask the attorney to discuss their experience with personal injury law. Do they specialize in all forms of personal injury, or are they focused on auto accidents?

While this may start your meeting with the attorney feeling like they’re sharing their resume, it can give you a good feel for what to expect, how they communicate, and even how willing they are to share what makes them the best choice.

2. Have You Handled a Case Like Mine Before?

If the attorney focuses on auto accidents in the personal injury law firm, they’ve likely handled a personal injury case with some of the same characteristics as your case.

All cases are different. Yet, it can be helpful to hear the personal injury lawyer talk about previous auto accident cases. It can help you to see how that case progressed and what strategies were used by the attorney.

It can also give you a sense of the expected timeline in your case.

It’s important to remember that the attorney can divulge specifics from someone else’s case. But listen to how they discuss the case and how they handled the case. It will give you a good insight into how they might handle your case.

3. How Do You See My Case Progressing?

The next logical question is to have them address how they see your case progressing. If you hire them, how will they prepare and move your case along?

Once the attorney learns some basics about your case and what happened, they should be able to talk you through what to expect.

This is also a good time to discuss your role in the case. You want the lawyer to discuss what will be expected of you as the case progresses.

You’ll also want to know how the attorney will communicate with you as the case progresses. Some clients feel it’s important to know every detail and have regular updates. Others need to know when something impactful in the case is happening.

You want to know your attorney will communicate with you in a way that’s comfortable to you.

4. Does Your Firm Have the Time and Resources for My Case?

Many personal injury cases are handled on a contingency. This means you don’t pay the attorney until you get money from the case.

While this is usually a big benefit for the auto accident victim, it can also have some implications for the law firm. It means they will be working without assets coming in.

You want to know the firm has the resources to handle your case through to the end until there is a settlement.

While it’s unrealistic to expect your attorney to work only on your case, you want to be sure their caseload isn’t so heavy that your case won’t get the attention it deserves.

5. Who Will Handle My Case?

Another important consideration when hiring your personal injury attorney is who will be handling your case.

It’s not uncommon in large firms for a name partner to meet with clients and land the case. Then the case gets handed off to an associate.

You want to know which attorney will be working on your behalf. It’s important to note that most attorneys have support staff who help them as they work a case.

6. How Often Does a Case Like Mine Go to Trial?

You might be surprised to learn that an auto accident personal injury case rarely goes to trial. The parties involved will work to negotiate a personal injury settlement agreed to by the parties involved.

You don’t want to hire a law firm that isn’t prepared to go to trial if needed. It might surprise you that some personal injury law firms never go to trial and only settle cases.

You want to know if your personal injury attorney will go to trial if your case warrants it.

7. How Do You Handle Costs and Fees?

Finally, while most personal injury cases are handled on contingency, you want to discuss the rate the attorney will be paid.

Some law firms ask for a small retainer to handle legal filings and processing paperwork.

Once you hire the attorney, you should have all costs and fees spelled out in a signed agreement.

Get the Help You Need From a Garden Grove Personal Injury Lawyer

When you’re ready to hire a Garden Grove lawyer, use these questions to get to know them so you can be prepared for what to expect with your case.

If you need a personal injury lawyer, we can help. Contact us today so we can get started helping you get the compensation you deserve.