Have you recently been involved in a car accident? Are you now wondering what good it is to have insurance if they aren't going to pay for expenses related to your accident? Having insurance can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, a good policy will cover most of the expenses related to being in an accident. On the other hand, it's often in the insurance company's best interests to try to deny your claim for any reason they can find. In order to get the money that you deserve, you may need to have an experienced lawyer on your side. Not every lawyer is going to be right for your case, though, so here are a few questions that you should ask before hiring one:
.What are your fees? In general, an auto accident lawyer will not ask for money up front. Instead, they will take a percentage of whatever settlement that you receive. This percentage can vary somewhat depending upon your location and the lawyer in question. While the standard is for these types of attorneys to take a third of the settlement, the actual amount can be slightly higher or lower depending on who is paying for things like court costs, expert witnesses, and so on.
How long do cases like this take? Each case is unique and no case is going to be exactly the same as another one. That said, an experienced auto accident lawyer will be able to give you an estimate based on his or her past experiences. He or she will let you know how long each stage usually takes. If the courts are slow in your jurisdiction, your case may take a while. On the other hand, if you have an extremely strong case then you might get a settlement offer within a matter of days.
What happens if the case is unsuccessful? There are a number of reasons why even a strong case may fail. The judge or jury may be having a bad day or maybe one of your witnesses fails to show up in court. Whatever the reason, it's a good idea to know what your options will be if this eventuality occurs. In some instances, your auto accident lawyer may automatically appeal the ruling. In others, you might have to find a new auto accident lawyer if you want to try again. Knowing what to expect will help you to plan out all of your options before the time comes.
