What Should You Ask Potential Phoenix Car Accident Lawyers?

About 7.3 million car accidents take place annually across the United States. If you’re a Phoenix driver who was recently involved in a crash, you’re far from alone. There are legal systems in place to help you get compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more.

To get the best possible representation, you’re going to need to talk to Phoenix car accident lawyers about what to expect. Read on to learn what questions you should ask them so you can be confident about the quality of representation you’re getting.

What Experience Do You Have?

It’s essential to get information on how much experience a lawyer has before hiring them. Someone who’s only been practicing for a couple of years may charge lower fees, but you won’t get the expert assistance that you need to win your case. 

You must hire someone with at least a decade of experience. Those who have been practicing for a long time have honed their skills and knowledge so that they can get you the highest possible compensation.

Experienced attorneys know how to talk to agents so that they don’t fall into any traps that could hurt your chances of getting a fair settlement. They also likely will have worked with the insurance agents that they’ve been negotiating with before. This means that they’ll know exactly what they’re doing and get you the maximum sum available.

Do You Specialize in Personal Injury Law?

Many people think of “lawyer” as an all-encompassing word, but in reality, it’s an umbrella term. Corporate lawyers aren’t anything like real estate lawyers. Neither of these specializations has anything to do with the personal injury attorneys that you’ll need to hire after a car accident.

Make sure that any potential hire specializes in personal injury law (aka ‘tort law’). If they do, dig deeper. Personal injury is also an umbrella term, and it encompasses cases like medical malpractice and product liability as well as auto accidents.

Once you ascertain that your lawyer is specifically experienced in personal injury cases, you can get more specific information about the cases they’ve worked on.

Have You Worked With Cases Like Mine Before?

Any lawyer worth their salt will tell you that no two cases are exactly alike. A commercial truck accident case is nothing like the legalities of a personal car crash.

No two car accidents will look the same, either.

Collisions that take place in different locations will be distinct, as will those with varying weather conditions and negligent driving. The possibilities are limitless, but it’s important to make sure that your lawyer has handled cases similar to yours before.

Ask about a specific time that they have worked with a client in a situation like your case. Inquire about the ins and outs of that case, how they worked to adequately represent them, and how they handled the individual intricacies of the situation.

Then, ask them how they plan to apply these same skills to your case. You’ll get an idea of what to expect and better understand whether the lawyer is a good fit for your unique scenario.

What Compensation Do You Think I Can Get?

Car accident victims can often get a settlement for several losses, including:

• Coverage for medical bills
• Compensation for lost wages (due to accident-related injuries)
• Temporary or permanent disability
• Property damage to the vehicle
• Non-financial losses like pain and suffering

It’s important to ask your prospective attorney what types of damages they think they can recover for you.

You also should ask for a rough estimate of how much money you can get back. You may think that you should get a certain amount, but you don’t know the ins and outs of the legal system. Lawyers can provide you with a knowledgeable perspective that’s also completely unbiased.

This will give you a general understanding of what to expect when you work with a specific law firm.

How Much Time Will You Dedicate to My Case?

Phoenix lawyers handle multiple cases at once. This makes sense when you consider that many local individuals are looking for representation after an accident. Juggling several cases ensures that attorneys get adequate funds to make a living.

But that doesn’t mean that you should settle for low-quality representation. Good lawyers give their all to every case that they take on. This means not signing up for more than they can handle so that your case gets the care you deserve.

Ask your prospective accident attorney how much time they’ll dedicate to your case. Get a breakdown of what they will do with this time.

This is also a good point to ask about their communication strategies. Lawyers are there to answer your questions about your case and explain specific legalities to you. This means remaining in contact regularly so that they can keep you in the know.

See how your lawyer plans to communicate with you. Make sure that you’ll always be able to reach out to them with any inquiries. This can ease your mind during the settlement process so you don’t need to stress over your case.

How Do You Take Payment?

There are several ways that attorneys might take payment from clients. Some may charge a flat fee for your case. You would usually have to pay some of it upfront and the rest after the settlement process has concluded.

Other lawyers charge an hourly fee. These attorneys will likely only be able to give you rough cost estimates because they can’t predict how long they’ll spend on your case with 100% accuracy.

Lawyers who charge either flat fees or hourly rates tend to expect payment regardless of the case outcome. Even if you lose, you may need to pay them.

However, this isn’t true for top personal injury attorneys. Most reputable car accident lawyers charge something called a “contingency fee.” Contingency means that they’ll only get paid if they win your case, so you don’t need to worry about shelling out if you get no compensation.

Those who charge contingency fees will take a predetermined percentage of your winnings. More experienced and reliable lawyers will take a higher percentage.

This benefits you because you will never need to pay more money than you have. You also can count on top-notch representation because lawyers get paid more when you get higher compensation. They have a huge stake in the outcome of your settlement, too.

What Are Your Rates?

Once you know the basics of a lawyer’s fees, it’s time to ask about their rates. They’ll likely be able to give you a rough estimate of how much you’ll need to pay after settling. This is true regardless of whether they charge a percentage-based contingency fee or an hourly rate.

You also should inquire about any additional fees you’ll be expected to pay. If your case goes to court, some attorneys will expect you to help out with courtroom fees and processing fees. This may be true even if you lose the case, so make sure to ask about these technicalities.

You don’t want to sign on with an attorney who will hit you with a lot of hidden fees in the future. Transparent communication is key and openness is the sign of a lawyer that’s worth their salt.

Can I Have Some Past Client References?

The best lawyers will have testimonials and reviews on their websites. Real clients will have spoken about their experiences so that you get true information about what to expect when hiring a Phoenix attorney. You can also use this online review page as a jumping point that links to other reputable review platforms like NOLO, FindLaw, and LegalMatch.

As a prospective client, however, you must dig deeper.

Ask your prospective lawyer if they can provide you with past client references. They should be able to give you some phone numbers or email addresses of those that they have advocated for in the past. You can directly reach out to these people and discuss what it was like to work with the attorney you’re considering hiring.

While online testimonials can give you a broad picture of what a law firm does, one-on-one communication with a past client can give you more specific information. This will help you feel more confident about your decision.

Get in Touch With Phoenix Car Accident Lawyers

While choosing an attorney after a car accident can be stressful, it’s easier when you know what questions to ask. Now that you have an idea about what to inquire about when talking to Phoenix car accident lawyers, it’s time to get started.

Sweet Lawyers’ team is committed to thoroughly answering your questions and letting you know the specific ways we can advocate for you during the litigation process. We’re also happy to tell you about our methods, experience, and more. Our 98% success rate speaks for itself, so contact us to schedule a free consultation today.