Looking for a great PI attorney means you’re already in the uncomfortable predicament of needing legal counsel to navigate the process of seeking compensation for a life-changing injury. You need to be sure you’re working with someone capable of pursuing your case in the most efficient and effective manner possible. This is why it’s important to ask questions during an initial consultation for a personal injury case.
Why You Should Ask a PI Attorney About Their Experience Level
A surprising variety of specialties fall under the heading of “personal injury.” Animal attacks and assaults committed by another human, defamation, car accidents, product liability and medical malpractice all fall under this large umbrella. You need a PI attorney who has experience in cases like yours. If you’ve been injured on the job, for instance, an attorney specializing in medical malpractice may not be an ideal fit for your needs.
To further complicate matters, specialties are often subdivided into very narrow niches. Some attorneys who specialize in car accidents have a special focus on those caused by 18-wheelers, for instance. When you meet a personal injury lawyer for the first consultation, you’ll want to make sure your unique case fits into their area of practice.
Who Actually Handles My Case?
The attorney you meet in an initial consultation will likely not handle every aspect of your case. An assistant, a paralegal or a legal secretary will almost certainly assist with documentation, while a junior associate may handle most of the case work with the oversight of a senior attorney. Delegating some of these tasks is not an indicator your PI attorney isn’t fully invested in your case; it does help to lower legal costs, though. Asking who will handle your case allows you to be familiar with everyone involved and gives you a better idea of how a particular practice operates.
How Are Costs Managed?
In most instances, a PI attorney will accept cases under a contingency-fee agreement, which means they only collect fees if they’re able to secure some kind of recovery. You’ll want to know the percentage the attorney will collect in the event of a settlement or judgement in your favor, as well as how case costs are handled.
Case costs are the fees for court filings, administration, expert witnesses and information discovery. Winning your case means these costs are recovered through the money you receive. In the event you do not win your case, however, the responsible party for these fees is determined by the agreement you make with your PI attorney. You’ll want to understand how these costs are managed before you enter into an agreement.
Martin Gasparian at the Maison Law Firm understands the sensitive nature of personal injury law. If you’ve been injured and need help seeking compensation, contact us to discuss your case during a consultation.
