If you get injured in a pedestrian accident in Texas and wish to pursue financial compensation for your medical bills and other losses, you may need assistance from a pedestrian accident lawyer. It is important to take care in selecting your lawyer. The lawyer you retain can make a difference to the outcome of your case, as well as your satisfaction with the overall legal experience. During a free consultation, ask the following questions to find out if the lawyer is the right one for you.
How Long Have You Been Practicing Pedestrian Accident Law?
First, ask about the attorney’s experience. Your attorney should have on-the-job experience specifically handling pedestrian accident cases in your region. Like all facets of personal injury law, pedestrian accident cases come with unique rules and issues. Experience with your type of case is important, as it will give the attorney knowledge of what to expect. Choose an attorney with at least a few years of experience handling pedestrian accident cases. You do not want to be a green attorney’s first pedestrian accident client.
Have You Taken Cases Similar to Mine? What Were the Results?
Although every case is unique, experience handling cases with similarities to yours can allow an attorney to predict potential challenges. For example, if you suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury, it could help to hire an attorney with experience handling other spinal cord injury cases. Also, ask about the lawyer’s results on similar cases. No lawyer should ever guarantee a positive case outcome, but past case results can confirm that the law firm has what it takes to achieve settlements and verdicts.
Do You Have the Ability to Go to Trial?
Most pedestrian accident cases settle. This means they do not go to trial. However, it can be important to find an attorney with experience going to trial so that you will be better prepared if you have a difficult case. Going to trial may be necessary to force an insurance company to pay you what your case is worth. Trial experience alone can often be enough to convince an insurance company to offer a better settlement.
Will You Be the Attorney Who Handles My Case?
Some personal injury law firms accept as many cases as possible to optimize the returns for their lawyers. At these mill-type law firms, your case may be passed to multiple attorneys, or even to assistants and paralegals. During your consultation with a potential pedestrian accident attorney, ask if the person you are speaking to will be the one handling your case. If not, ask to see the attorney who will be on the case. It is important to get to know the attorney who will be doing the actual work. You should feel comfortable with this person as your representative.
How Much Is My Pedestrian Accident Case Worth?
The value of your pedestrian accident case is important for many reasons. It can help your family to know what to expect from the outcome of your case in terms of how you will handle your medical debt and other expenses. It is also important to obtain a value estimate from an experienced San Antonio pedestrian accident lawyer before you accept a settlement from an insurance company, as an attorney will be more honest with what your case is worth. While an insurance company will want to minimize your payout to protect its own profits, a pedestrian accident lawyer will want to maximize your recovery. Understanding the potential value of your case can help your family plan for the future.
How Much Do You Charge? Do I Have to Pay if You Lose?
One concern for most clients is how much a pedestrian accident attorney charges. The attorney you are considering should be honest and straightforward about fees. Most personal injury attorneys accept cases on a contingency fee basis. This payment arrangement means that if the law firm does not succeed in securing financial compensation for your losses, you will not have to pay for the services rendered. If the attorney does win your case, he or she will deduct attorney’s fees out of the settlement or judgment award won rather than billing you directly. With a contingency fee, you will take none of the financial risks of a pedestrian accident case.