In the Kansas City area, when you find yourself in need of a personal injury attorney, you literally have hundreds to choose from. That can be overwhelming! How do you narrow it down to find the right law firm? Knowing some questions to ask can help you find the right fit, the right experience, and the right qualifications. Let us help you get started with some questions you should ask.
Most personal injury attorneys charge for their services on a contingent fee basis. That simply means that there is no legal fee unless there is a monetary recovery on your behalf. The typical contingency fee is 33%; however, it can range from 20% to 40%.
The firm you choose should never charge an upfront fee.
However, expenses may be handled differently.
Specifically, you want to ask about the firm’s practice on expenses or costs advanced if your case is lost.
When looking for a personal injury lawyer, you want to make sure his or her primary focus is personal injury law. You don’t want to hire someone who practices general law, family law or criminal law. Although someone who is a general practitioner may do a little bit of everything, including personal injury, you need someone who is not just familiar with personal injury laws, but someone who knows these laws backward and forward.
If your case is going to court, you need someone who is very familiar with the law. You will want them to know common defense tactics by insurance companies and how to steer through complex litigation procedures. A lawyer specializing in personal injury law will be able to get you the best results.
Some firms may provide you with an overall combined years of experience. While this might look and sound good, you want to know more specifically about the lawyers and legal team you will be working with.
Experience can be a key factor so be sure to ask how long a lawyer and his or her firm has been practicing personal injury law. A seasoned lawyer with several years of experience means he or she has seen and handled a variety of cases, allowing him or her to apply what has already been learned and experienced to your case. Request the attorney’s bio/background information which can tell you about his or her education, important cases they have been successful on and their concentration in specific practice areas.
Be sure to ask if the lawyer has trial experience with cases similar to yours as well. And also ask for the lawyer’s results.
Keep in mind, just because a lawyer specializes in personal injury law does not mean he or she is skilled or successful at negotiating settlements or obtaining courtroom victories.
Knowing whether other law firms refer cases to the firm you’re considering means:
Lawsuits involving serious or catastrophic personal injuries or wrongful death can take a considerable amount of time and, quite frankly, monetary resources from the law firm you choose to represent you. Often, in complicated cases, expert testimony may be needed from medical doctors or other professionals, accident reconstruction professionals and more.
Since these expenses are typically funded by the law firm, you want to make sure they have not just the time and staff, but the monetary resources needed to bring these experts to bear in your case.
A one-person law firm is more likely to have issues with time availability, whereas, a larger firm with multiple lawyers and paralegals and other experienced staff may be more suitable. Keep in mind the larger firm will have more cases to be worked which may impact availability.
Many firms use a team approach having different lawyers, paralegals and associates handle different aspects of your case.
You want to know:
Be sure to ask how the team functions and how often you will receive updates about the status of your case.
Every case is different so no attorney should give you an exact time frame to this question. However, he or she should be able to give you a general estimate based on how long other similar cases have taken.
Have you been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall or some other accident in which you suffered serious injuries due to another’s negligence? Call Nash & Franciskato at (877) 284-6600. We have a successful track record helping accident victims collect the compensation they deserve.
One of our experienced staff will speak with you personally and will provide you with a free, no-obligation review of your case.
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Past results afford no guarantee of future results and each case is different and is judged on its own merits. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published July 15, 2016. It was reviewed on January 16, 2024, updated for content and accuracy and republished January 22, 2024.
