Five Questions to Ask Your Pedestrian Accident Attorney
Introduction
The aftermath of a pedestrian accident can be overwhelming. If you’re injured or lost a loved one in an accident, dealing with the aftermath can be difficult. You need someone who understands your situation and can help as you attempt to navigate through this difficult time. This is where hiring a pedestrian accident attorney comes into play. They can answer questions about your case and help you move forward through what can often be complicated legal proceedings involving insurance companies.
When you’re involved in an accident and are injured, dealing with the aftermath can be overwhelming.
When you’re involved in an accident and are injured, dealing with the aftermath can be overwhelming. You may experience emotional distress and anxiety as you cope with:
- The emotional and physical stress of a car accident
- The loss of income while you recover from your injuries
- The costs of medical treatment for your injuries
To make matters worse, you’re probably also facing insurance companies who claim they have no responsibility for any losses you’ve incurred. If so, that’s where legal representation comes in—to help ensure that all possible avenues are explored to secure compensation for damages sustained.
The good news is that you can look to a professional pedestrian accident attorney for help in navigating this difficult time.
Pedestrian accident attorneys can explain your legal rights, answer your questions about the process, and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf—all while protecting your interests.
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible so they can begin working on getting you compensation for damages caused by the negligence of others. It’s important to take action right away because the statute of limitations varies by state, but typically begins around one year after an accident takes place; if an attorney doesn’t act within this time period then you may not be able to pursue legal action against those who caused the accident.
Having legal help can make a big difference as you attempt to figure out how to deal with your expenses, lost wages and the other damages that occurred due to the accident.
Having legal help can make a big difference as you attempt to figure out how to deal with your expenses, lost wages and other damages that occurred due to the accident. Many people do not realize that they are entitled to compensation until they consult with their personal injury attorney.
Remember that any money awarded from an insurance company will go toward covering your medical bills, lost wages and other expenses related to recovering from your injuries. If there is no insurance available, then you may need additional funds for treatment costs or lost wages. Your pedestrian accident attorney can help you get the compensation that you deserve for these damages.
Make sure that you take advantage of a free consultation so that you can ask questions about your case and determine whether it’s worth moving forward.
A free consultation is the best way to get answers to your questions. During your consultation, you can find out how long it will take to get a resolution and what the cost of your case will be if you choose to move forward. You also can ask about whether or not the attorney is a good fit for your needs, because once you hire them, they’ll be working closely with you throughout the litigation process. If possible, try scheduling a conference call or meeting in person so that there are no misunderstandings or missed details later on in the process.
Here are five of the most important questions that you should ask your pedestrian accident attorney as part of this initial meeting.
1. What is your fee, and how are fees charged?
The majority of personal injury attorneys charge an hourly rate. Some may charge a flat fee or contingency basis. It’s important to know the payment terms up front so you can plan for any potential costs that may arise during your case. Find out what payment methods they accept This may include cashier’s checks, money orders or online payments through various resources such as PayPal and Venmo. You should also ask about whether they accept credit cards since this makes it easier for clients to pay their bills without having to worry about paying fees associated with wire transfers or sending checks in the mail (which can take time). Lastly, make sure you find out what their billing cycle looks like and what happens if you miss a payment.
2. How long have you been practicing personal injury law in Louisiana?
It is important to know how long your personal injury attorney has been practicing. The more time they have spent practicing, the more likely it is that they have handled similar cases and are more familiar with how things work in the court system and what their options are for pursuing a case. The longer an attorney has been practicing, the better their understanding of how things work in Louisiana’s court system can be assumed to be.
It’s also important to know if your personal injury attorney has ever won a case like yours before. If not, then it may be difficult for them to get the same outcome as they did in other cases. If your attorney has never won a case like yours before, they may need to do more research and spend more time on the case than they would if they had experience with similar cases.
3. What can I expect from working with you?
When you choose to work with a professional pedestrian accident attorney, you can expect it to be an easy process. You should not be pressured into accepting something that you do not feel is right for your case.
Your attorney should make the process clear and let you know what to expect for every step. When you contact a firm, they will usually arrange a convenient meeting time with one of their attorneys so that they can meet face-to-face with you and discuss the details of your case. The attorney you meet with should listen carefully to any concerns or questions that may arise during this meeting and take notes on what needs attention in order to move forward with the case.
At this point, they should also let you know what to expect during the legal process — timing, communication, what information you’ll need to provide them, and more.
4. Why should I choose you over other attorneys?
This is an important question to ask. Of course, you don’t want to hire an attorney that isn’t going to be able to help you with your case. However, it may take a little bit of research to really find the best attorney for your needs.
Follow-up questions to this could be, “Are there any testimonials I can read from former clients whose cases were handled by your firm?” or even, “What kind of results have other clients received from working with your law firm?” You should also Google your attorney and see what reviews you can find on your own.
5. Who will be managing my case?
Your attorney will be responsible for all aspects of your case, and it’s important to find out early on who that will be. The work they will be handling includes conducting research, examining medical records and insurance policies, interviewing witnesses and evaluating damages. Your specific role will be to answer any questions that arise about the accident or its aftermath. It’s important to find and work with an attorney that you feel comfortable working with as you will be working closely with this individual and sharing information about the case with them.
There’s a lot you need to know before you hire a pedestrian accident attorney and these questions will get you started in the right direction.
A lot of people are confused about what they need to do when they have been injured in a pedestrian accident. There are a lot of things that you should know before you start looking for an attorney, and these questions will get your thinking in the right direction.
These five questions should help you get a sense of whether your attorney will be the right one for your case. If your attorney is unable to answer them or doesn’t seem like they have all the answers, then you may need to keep looking for someone else who can.
Take Action
When selecting an attorney, it’s important that you understand what you are getting into. Questions like “How much will this cost me?” or “How long will this process take?” can be answered through our free consultation process, which allows us to go over all the details involved in your case with no obligation from you!
The best way to find out if we’re the right choice for handling your pedestrian accident claim is by speaking with one of our attorneys today at (504) 556-4444 or complete our contact form.