If you’ve been injured in a truck accident that wasn’t your fault, you need a truck accident attorney. The right lawyer can get you a settlement or award that will help you pay medical bills and get back on your feet financially after missing work.
But finding the right lawyer to take your truck accident case isn’t always easy. Truck accidents tend to be more severe in terms of injuries and fatalities than accidents involving cars. Trucks also operate under different regulations than privately owned passenger cars. When a truck crash happens, it may not be just the truck driver at fault – there could be layers of negligence in play on the behalf of the mechanics who serviced the truck, the manufacturer of the materials or products the truck is hauling, the company that employs the trucker, and the driver’s direct supervisor. You need a personal injury attorney with specific experience in litigating truck accident cases. These tips will help you find one.
Meet with Multiple Lawyers If You Can
Depending on where you live, there might not be that many truck accident attorneys in your area. But you should aim to meet with three to five local attorneys. The first consultation with an attorney should be free. You can use this meeting to decide if the lawyer appears organized, professional, and able to dedicate appropriate time and resources to you and your case.
Any attorney you meet with should be willing to give you his or her full attention during your initial consultation. They should not seem distracted or frazzled or disorganized. Take a look around at the facilities while you’re visiting an attorney. A busy, fully staffed law office in a nice building indicates a successful practice. Consider the attorney’s level of responsiveness to you on the phone. Did they get back to you quickly? Were you able to make an appointment right away? The last thing you need is a lawyer who never returns your calls.
A Larger Firm Might Be the Better Choice
Trucking companies tend to have deep pockets, so you’ll need a firm with plenty of resources to pursue your case, especially if it goes to trial. For this kind of personal injury case, a large firm with more staff, more connections, and more resources might be the best choice if you hope to win your case.
Fee Structures Should Be Transparent
Any good Clearwater truck accident lawyer should be willing to work on contingency, which means they don’t get paid unless you get a settlement or award. While personal injury lawyers aren’t allowed to promise you they’ll win your case, they usually won’t take on a case if they don’t feel confident they can win. They won’t get paid unless they win you a settlement or award, after all.
A reputable lawyer will give you a contingency fee structure in writing to sign before you begin working together. The fee document should enumerate the percentage of your settlement the lawyer will be taking, as well as what litigation and court fees will be taken out of the settlement as well. The fee agreement should also specify whether court fees and litigation costs are to be taken off the top of the settlement before the attorney calculates his or her fee, or whether they are to be deducted after the attorney takes his or her fee.
Investigate a Prospective Attorney’s Reputation
Before you choose an attorney, investigate his or her reputation. When meeting with an attorney for the first time, don’t be afraid to ask him or her what percentage of his or her clients come from referrals. A high rate of referral business means that a prospective attorney is well respected by other attorneys.
You can also go online, to sites other than the attorney’s own website, in order to find out how former clients feel about the service they got and the outcomes of their cases. Look on social media sites like Facebook or Google for customer reviews. Get in touch with the state bar to check whether a prospective attorney has been disciplined by the bar for unethical behavior.
Look for Someone Who Communicates Well
A good lawyer needs strong communication skills to succeed professionally, and he or she should show those skills to you by explaining things in terms you can understand. Avoid lawyers who try to impress with complicated legal jargon. You need to be able to understand what’s going on with your case, and that means choosing a lawyer you can talk to.
Ask Prospective Lawyers About Their Experience
Personal injury law has so many subspecialities that it’s unreasonable to expect one attorney, or even one firm, to handle all kinds of personal injury cases. If you’ve been in a truck accident, it’s especially important to find an attorney who has experience litigating these cases because truck accident cases can be so complex. Ask your prospective attorney about his or her experience reaching settlements and going to trial with truck accident cases specifically. Ideally, you want someone who’s won a lot of truck accident cases.
Finding a good truck accident lawyer can make all the difference when you or one of your loved ones has been involved in a truck accident. Shop smart for truck accident attorneys, and get the settlement you need.
