When you’ve been injured in a car accident or have a wrongful death claim after losing a loved one to an automobile accident, you may be unsure of how to protect yourself and pursue the compensation you need to care for yourself and your family and move forward with your lives.
You may already know that it is in your best interests to consult with a personal injury attorney who is experienced in handling car accident claims. However, it can be difficult to distinguish among New York City car accident lawyers.
Considerations in Choosing a Car Accident Attorney
There are two key considerations in choosing a personal injury attorney to represent you in your car accident case: the attorney’s qualifications, and your trust in and comfort working with the firm. Assessing these two issues requires you to ask questions of the attorney and of yourself.
Questions for the Attorney
Of course, you may have a variety of questions that you want to ask the attorney that are specific to your case and your goals. This short list of questions is intended specifically to help you determine whether an attorney is the right one for you and your case.
- How many car accident cases have you handled? It’s important to be specific about this, as an attorney may have extensive legal experience, or even personal injury experience, yet not have the direct experience that best qualifies him or her to handle your case.
- How many cases have you taken to trial? Most personal injury cases settle, so don’t be alarmed if this number is relatively small compared with the number of cases the attorney has handled. However, you’ll want to look for enough trial experience to assure you that the attorney is both able and willing to try your case in court if that turns out to be the best approach for you.
- Will I work directly with you, or through a paralegal or secretary? There isn’t necessarily a right answer to this question. While you may need to speak directly with the attorney at times, working through staff to provide documents and witness contact information, confirm court dates, and handle other details frees up the attorney’s time to focus on the legal issues. What is important, though, is that you have a consistent point of contact within the firm.
Questions for You
It may sound funny to say that you have to ask yourself questions, but it’s important to think explicitly about these issues, and asking direct questions of yourself is a great way to focus your thinking.
- Was I comfortable talking with the attorney? Many people are a bit nervous when consulting with a lawyer for the first time. However, as your case moves forward, it will be critical that you are comfortable enough with your attorney to be direct and honest, provide complete and accurate information, ask any questions you may have, and voice your concerns.
- Did the attorney explain things clearly? You don’t need to and probably don’t want to know and understand every technical detail of your case. But, you will undoubtedly have questions as the case proceeds, and you want to know that your attorney won’t brush you off or talk over your head.
- Did I feel like the attorney is on my side? Your car accident lawyer will be your advocate as you pursue the compensation you need to rebuild. The process may be long and at times daunting, so it’s important that you can trust that the attorney is committed to providing you with the best result possible.
A Free Consultation is the First Step
The first step toward finding the right NYC car accident lawyer for you is to schedule a free consultation. Fill out the contact form on this site, or call (212) 540-2987 to get started.
Call or text (646) 692-0204 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form