If you live around Ithaca, New York, you are lucky enough to have numerous car accident lawyers at your disposal. Should you need one, you are guaranteed to be presented with a lot of options. Hiring a car accident lawyer is no easy feat, as there are a lot of considerations that you have to factor in. To be sure that you are with the best lawyer for your case, it is imperative that upon your first meeting, you lay all your cards down the table.
That said, to guide you in the process of hiring a lawyer, here are some of the questions that you must ask first before hiring one:
1. How long have you been in the practice of car accidents and personal injury law?
The study law is a comprehensive and general concept. You may be meeting with a lawyer who has been in practice for many years now but has only recently specialized in the field of car accidents. This specialization may not seem to be too much of an issue, but it really is to your advantage if you get a lawyer who specializes in car accidents and personal injuries. When you are in the hands of this lawyer, you can rest assured with the thought that your lawyer is indeed an expert and that you have a higher chance of gaining a favorable settlement for your car accident.
Visit this site to get hold of lawyers around or nearby Ithaca who are indeed experts in the field of a car accident and personal injury law.
However, even if the lawyer immediately tells you that they are going to charge on a contingency basis, do not directly allow yourself to relax. You should still press on further by asking how much their percentage usually is. This percentage amount can be your comparison point with other lawyers whom you may be dealing with as well. Remember to create a balance between having the best lawyer and one who is also friendly to the pocket.
2. What is your fee basis?
Lawyers generally have different types and means of collecting their fees. However, the most common agreement when dealing with car accidents is that lawyers typically ask for contingency fees. This contingency fee is often better in such a way that upon hiring, you do not immediately have to pay your lawyer anything. The contingency fee is usually a percentage of the settlement amount or the award that you are going to gain from the case. Hence, this scenario becomes friendlier to the pocket up-front.However, even if the lawyer immediately tells you that they are going to charge on a contingency basis, do not directly allow yourself to relax. You should still press on further by asking how much their percentage usually is. This percentage amount can be your comparison point with other lawyers whom you may be dealing with as well. Remember to create a balance between having the best lawyer and one who is also friendly to the pocket.
3. Have you handled cases similar to mine?
As you get to know your lawyer even further, you can also go one step ahead by asking if the lawyer has handled cases that are similar to yours. Car accident law is a complicated field, and you want to give yourself even more assurance that your lawyer really knows what they’re doing. As you ask about this, go ahead and gather information, too, about the flow of the case, how the lawyer handled it, and whether or not the judgment was favourable to their previous client. If you don’t feel comfortable asking your lawyer about this, you have another option of asking to look at their portfolio instead. This portfolio allows you access to the previous cases they have handled, and whether or not that particular lawyer comes in recommended.4. Do you have all the necessary permits and licenses to operate?
Ithaca, New York is a big place. After all, New York is also quite a large state, both demographically through the population, and geographically as well. It is not uncommon, therefore, that there are also a lot of scammers lingering around, just waiting for a victim to prey on. If you’re not careful, this victim could be you.Believe it or not, not all lawyers are legitimate. There are those who have licenses that have long expired, while there are also those who do not even have licenses, to begin with. While they set themselves out to be experts of the law, you may be surprised to find out that you may have paid a retainer fee to a lawyer who hasn’t even passed the bar exam. For your protection, too, remember to ask about the following:
- Certification from the local bar association that they are a member of the bar
- Diploma from law school
- Other certificates to show further training and studies on car accident and personal injury law
- Permits and licenses to legally operate
