how to hire the best auto accident attorney

What are the qualities of the best car accident lawyer?

Provable Characteristics of a Car Accident AttorneyExperienced. While all attorneys must prove academic prowess to achieve their law license, the more impressive trait is their level of experience. ... Pragmatic. ... Studious. ... Communicative. ... Transparent. ... Focused. ... Empathetic and Compassionate. ... Driven and Passionate.More items...

What percentage do most injury lawyers take?

33%As a general rule, the personal injury lawyer will receive 33% of the final settlement amount in the case. However, cases that go to trial often incur different costs. The goal of this fee structure is to minimize the client's financial risk in hiring an attorney to represent them.

What percentage of cases are settled before trial?

Statistically 90% of all lawsuits filed are settled before trial. Of the 10% of the cases that go to trial 90% of them settle before verdict. Therefore, a very small percentage of cases are ever tried to conclusion.

What is it called when a lawyer overcharges you?

A breach of contract means the client did not get the value for which they paid. A breach of fiduciary is about the lawyer lying and creating false bills. “If a lawyer intentionally overbills a client and lies, they billed two hours when they worked one, that's lying,” Wilson says.

What percentage do most lawyers take as a contingency fee?

33 ⅓ percentWhile the percentage of the fee varies by lawyer, typically contingency fees are 33 ⅓ percent of the case if a lawsuit is not filed and 40% if a lawsuit is filed.

What percentage do lawyers take for personal injury in Canada?

This percentage ranges from 25% to 33%, depending on the province you live in, the type of case, and how far the case has progressed through the legal process. We also pay for any expert opinions required to advance your case.

Make sure you are speaking with an attorney

When you have your initial call to the personal injury firm, make sure you are speaking with an attorney. This may seem obvious. However, most of the large Atlanta law firms rely on case managers to evaluate new case calls. Case managers lack the experience of attorneys and may miss critical details of your case.

Expertise in laws specific to car accidents

Does the lawyer you’ve chosen focus his or her practice primarily on car accident cases? If not, you should think twice about using his or her services.

Provides honest, clear answers

Was your lawyer honest with you? The best car accident attorneys respond to direct questions with direct and simple answers. If you talk with a lawyer and end up with more questions than answers when you are done talking, that is a red flag. But understand that there will be unknowns during an initial consultation.

Easy to get along with

Do you like the lawyer? The legal process is long, complicated, and can be emotionally draining. You will be talking to your lawyer frequently. Contrary to what you may have heard on television, the process is not as simple as one call.

Avoids legal jargon

Does the lawyer make things easy for you to understand? Legal jargon has its place. It belongs in documents filed with courts, not in conversations with your lawyer. For example, I could tell you that we must exercise personal jurisdiction over the defendant in the county in which he resides.

Easy to get in contact with

Is the lawyer available? At HS Law, we don’t take every case. We are selective because we want to provide the best level of service for our clients. Most people don’t realize that some large personal injury law firms in Atlanta overwork lawyers and force lawyers to handle caseloads as high as 400 to 500 cases.

Same lawyer throughout your case

Is the lawyer experienced? Make sure the lawyer you hire has substantial experience handling personal injury cases. If the lawyer does, take it one step further. Clarify that the lawyer you spoke with will be handling your case, not his associate attorney (often a new attorney with little firsthand experience).