Despite the stringent measures placed by the federal and state governments, car accidents remain prevalent on American roads. Over a thousand New Yorkers succumb to road accidents, and thousands sustain devastating injuries yearly. This makes the average number of road accidents in New York higher than the U.S. average.
While you should consider several factors, choosing a Brooklyn car accident attorney is the most important decision. Frankly, there’s only one chance to ensure accident victims receive fair compensation for injuries, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and picking the wrong attorney can ruin the claim.
That said, you should ask the following questions before hiring a car accident attorney:
1. How long have you practiced law?
Like any other profession, experience is important for auto accident lawyers. While all lawyers have passed bar exams and are technically qualified to handle accident cases, you should know if the lawyer you are about to sign is a rookie or an expert.
Assuming that all lawyers are the same can cost your car accident case. Compensation for your health and property damage are at stake in auto accident cases. Therefore, hiring an inexperienced lawyer isn’t encouraged. You should hire a lawyer with at least five years of experience.
1. Which type of cases do you handle, and what percentage is devoted to auto accident cases?
Apart from the lawyer’s length of legal career, you should also ask about their area of specialization. Your prospective lawyer should inform you of their area of expertise. Asking this ensures that you hire a lawyer who’s worked on cases like yours.
Traffic crash victims should only work with a car accident lawyer who possesses a proven track record of successfully handling complex insurance claims and courtroom litigation. This specific expertise ensures that your legal representative understands how to accurately calculate the long-term costs of your injuries and aggressively negotiate for a fair settlement.
In the same way, you will look for a criminal law attorney to handle your civil suits. If you sustain injuries in a car accident, you should hire a lawyer specializing in this field. However, the fact that a lawyer practices auto accident injury law doesn’t mean they are a good pick.
Most attorneys work in multiple practice areas. If you check most law firms’ websites, they have listed practice areas on their web pages. Some attorneys offer cross-cutting services, ranging from family law and bankruptcy to criminal law. Even if a lawyer limits their area of practice to personal injury cases, they will most likely handle various personal injury cases, including auto accidents, dog bites, slips and falls, medical malpractice, and more.
That said, you should be specific when inquiring about the attorney’s area of specialization. It pays to inquire about the lawyer’s number of practice hours on car accident cases. You should choose a lawyer who devotes more than 50% of their time to car accident cases.
3. What particular experience or training do they have?
Lawyers typically need more training and experience to handle some legal practice areas, such as DWI. While handling auto accident cases doesn’t necessarily require additional training, it is prudent to know if your attorney has the training or unique experience that can benefit your case.
For instance, you’ll benefit immensely from the services of an auto accident lawyer who’s worked in law enforcement before. Similarly, a lawyer who’s worked in large insurance companies before switching to represent auto accident victims is also beneficial to your case.
4. Have you received awards, recognition, or ratings as a car accident lawyer?
Discussing your preferred lawyer’s reputation may be difficult. However, it is an important topic to address. Instead of asking the lawyer directly about their reputation, which they can lie about, consider asking them about any awards, ratings, and recognitions. Lawyers with awards, recognitions, and good ratings can help your case.
5. What are your fees?
While you shouldn’t prioritize attorney charges, it is an important question to ask your lawyers. Most lawyers charge on a contingency basis. This means you won’t incur any fees if there’s no compensation. Their charges are also based on the value of the claim. However, some have fixed charges for all types of car accident cases.
Apart from legal fees, you should determine who will bear the costs of handling the case. This includes charges for filing the suit, facilitating witnesses, and more. You should understand lawyer fees and other associated costs beforehand.
The Bottom Line
The aftermath of a car accident is confusing and overwhelming. Hiring a lawyer is among the crucial things accident victims should do to increase their chances of being compensated. If you haven’t been in this situation, ask prospective lawyers the questions above.
