Did you know tens of thousands of wrecks involving semi-trucks happen every year? If you were to be involved in one of them, would you know how to go about finding a reasonable truck accident attorney? You must know who to trust, where to turn and what to do about all of those mounting medical bills.
You don’t want to be caught looking for one just anywhere. It’s probably not a wise choice to call your Aunt Margaret’s neighbour’s cousin’s lawyer. And, checking the phone directory for whoever has paid for the most massive advertisement or calling the lawyer on the sign you just passed on the Interstate may not be right.
The Top 5 Things You Should Look For In A Reasonable Truck Accident Attorney:
1. Experience
Ask the lawyer how long he’s been practising accident law. Keep in mind, the more years of experience, the more likely he will have already successfully handled many cases just like yours.
2. Representation
It’s true some of the larger law firms let you meet one lawyer then they turn the case over to a junior lawyer for handling and then the first lawyer shows up at the trial – or maybe the junior lawyer will. This will either bother you or it won’t. Be aware the process exists and if you don’t like it, ask to be represented by one lawyer only.
3. Success
Checking his references is a wise move. Ask his office for them or ask him personally. Has he achieved success for others? Let him brag on himself a little on some of his most significant cases. You don’t want to hire a truck accident attorney who’s only just “graduated” from small claims court.
4. E-mail
In my opinion, this is becoming the best way to keep in touch with people. It saves time, and it creates a paper trail from conversations. It can be useful for regular updates about your case. Be cautious though – sometimes E-mails get lost or trapped in cyberspace so be sure to follow up on any you send your lawyer when he doesn’t answer back in a few days. Keep in mind, he has other cases, and his inbox is probably full every day, so it’s best to send only essential questions or comments and keep them brief.
5. Remuneration
If your truck accident attorney tells you at the outset that he can probably get you an excessive amount of money, ask him to put it that amount in writing. The point here is – no one can know ahead of time how much remuneration will be given for any case no matter how many cases they’ve tried. By asking him to put it in writing, you’ll get him to give you a much more realistic amount you might expect to receive.
This can be an overwhelming time, and finding the right truck accident attorney to help with your case isn’t difficult if you follow these few tips. Good luck!
