Texas is an at-fault state, and the laws allow accident victims to file a personal injury claim. Houston ranks No 3 in road congestion, and it also ranks first in car accident deaths. If you are injured in a car accident due to the other driver’s rash driving, you can claim compensation for injuries and damages.
Personal injury law is complex, and you need to prove the other party was responsible for the accident to get compensation. Houston Personal Injury Attorney for Car Accidents can represent your side in the court and help you get an adequate compensation amount. You need to select the best car accident attorney as your legal representative. Here are five things you should be asking a personal injury attorney before hiring him.
- Background and Experience
In 2018, Houston reported the highest number of car accidents at 67,241. You can start your meeting by asking questions about the attorney’s background and experience. To become a lawyer and represent you in court, the lawyer needs to fulfill some requirements.
- Should have completed a professional degree
- Cleared the LSAT exam
- Should have completed graduation with an ABA-accredited doctoral degree in Law
- Passed Texas Bar Exam
Besides the above educational qualification, the attorney must have considerable experience representing auto accident victims. To get an idea about the experience, you can ask questions like
- How many car accident claims do you settle each year?
- Do you have special experience representing accident victims who have suffered spine and neck injuries in car accidents?
- Case Management
A report mentions Houston as the worst city for driving, and the city accounts for 12.18% of the total crashes in the state. You should ask the attorney who will manage the case and who will be representing you in the court.
Some legal firms have junior lawyers working to prepare the case while senior lawyers represent the client in the court. Also, ask who will be communicating with you about the case’s progress. It is necessary to have a complete idea about case management to avoid confusion at later stages.
- Legal Fees
The Houston Personal Injury Attorney for Car Accidents will not come cheap. Hence, you should always know the upfront costs and legal fees for filing a personal injury claim. Most Houston attorneys charge per hour, and their rate can be anything between $199 per hour to $430 or more.
Some attorneys work on a contingency fee model. It means you don’t have to pay any upfront fees to them. Instead, they will take a share of the settlement amount as fees. The attorney share in the contingency models could be ½, 1/3, or ¼ th of the settlement amount. The percentage of the settlement amount they will take as feed is generally mentioned in the contract.
- Assessment of Your Case
Not every personal injury claim is successful, and the plaintiff often does not receive the desired payout. Hence, you should ask the attorney to assess your case and tell you what you would receive realistically. After studying your case, the lawyer should be able to tell you what works in your favor and what works against you.
Depending on the assessment, the attorney might guide you to negotiating with the other party’s insurer for the settlement.
- Legal Approach and Style
Every lawyer’s approach is different. Hence, you should ask the lawyer what would be the lawyer’s approach to the case. For example, will the lawyer approach the defendant party for settlement before filing the personal injury lawsuit or after a potential claim arises.
You should also ask whether the lawyer will ask you to make certain decisions or advise what you should do.
These are five things you should be asking the personal injury attorney in Houston before hiring the attorney.
