What to Ask During Your Initial Consultation with a Car Accident Attorney

Are you planning on hiring an attorney for help with your car accident claim? If so, you’re on the right track.

At the end of the day, even seemingly straightforward scenarios can lend to incredibly complex proceedings. What’s more, most reputable personal injury firms take claims for a contingency fee. That means clients don’t have to pay out of pocket. Instead, the fee comes out of the payout that results, assuming one does.

The best part? Once you hire a lawyer, you can focus on your recovery while your legal team puts together your claim. Before getting started, however, it’s important to make sure you’ve actually found the right attorney to take your case.

You can gauge the kind of counsel a lawyer provides—and confirm they have what it takes to represent you—by asking the following questions during your initial consultation:

• How much of your case work involves car accident claims with elements similar to my own?
• What do you think is the likeliest outcome to my claim?
• Do you have trial experience, and will you be able to help me navigate court proceedings if settling proves impossible?
• What kinds of settlements and judgements have you managed to achieve?
• What kinds of resources will you draw upon to build my case?
• How often will you update me on the status of my claim?
• How long will it take you to get back to me if I reach out with a question or concern?
• What is your fee structure?
• Is there anything I can do to support your efforts while you’re putting together my case?

If you ask all of the above and you like the answers you receive, you should be able to proceed with confidence. If, on the other hand, you don’t like what the attorney has to say, you should meet with someone else as soon as possible and start the vetting process all over again.

What Kinds of Questions Should I Be Prepared to Answer During the Initial Consultation?

While you will spend much of the consultation evaluating the firm, you should also be prepared to discuss the situation, so the lawyer can evaluate the validity of your claim. The specific questions you’ll be asked will depend on the facts of the case, but chances are they’ll include at least a few of the following:

• Is there a chance you contributed to the crash in any way?
• How did first responders handle the scene?
• How many vehicles were involved?
• Did police make any arrests at the scene?
• Were there any eyewitnesses?
• Have you posted about the accident or your injuries on social media?
• Have you had any correspondence with insurance adjusters?
• What is your prognosis?
• What kinds of expenses are you now incurring that you wouldn’t have had to cover had you not gotten hurt?

Call (727) 821-1500 to Discuss Your Case with a Florida Car Accident Lawyer

Are you thinking about taking action against a reckless driver in Florida? For strategic counsel at every stage of the proceedings, turn to Emerson Straw. Our steadfast team has managed to recover tens of millions of dollars on behalf of accident victims and their loved ones. Call (727) 821-1500 or complete our Contact Form to schedule your free case review with one of our Florida car accident attorneys