What to Look for in a Lawyer for Your Car Accident Injury

Being in a car accident may be a severely disruptive experience. Not only are you inconvenienced that day, but you may also suffer high costs in the form of property damage, lost wages, and medical bills–especially if your injuries are severe–as well as short- or long-term disability, psychological harm, and the stress and hassle that comes with the process of filing an insurance claim. To help you navigate the insurance claims process and to improve your chances of recovering a settlement that fully compensates you for your losses, working with a Mississippi car accident attorney is strongly recommended. Consider the following about what you should look for in a lawyer for your car accident injury claim, and please reach out to Mississippi Car Accident Attorney and we will connect you with an experienced and highly qualified Mississippi car accident lawyer. 

Relevant Experience 

When you are hiring an attorney, it’s important that you not only consider the lawyer’s cumulative experience (i.e. for how many years they’ve been practicing law) but also relevant experience. For example, does the lawyer focus on car accident claims? Exclusively on car accident claims? What about car accident claims that are similar to the accident in which you’ve been involved, such as a multi-vehicle collision or a commercial vehicle accident? Choosing an attorney who has experience working on cases like yours means that the attorney will be more practiced and likely better prepared to handle your case. 

Location 

Unless you want to travel a lot throughout the claims process–which can take months or even longer than a year in some cases–it’s smart to choose a car accident attorney in Mississippi who is located relatively close to you. Chances are high that you will spend a lot of time in communication with your attorney over the coming months–you don’t want to spend more time commuting than you have to.

In addition to reducing drive time, there’s another practical reason to choose an attorney who lives near you: a local attorney is likely to have relationships with the local police officers, insurance companies, court staff, and judges who may all be relevant to your case. 

History of Success 

While an attorney may be barred from sharing specific details of cases, they should be able to provide you with some general examples of case outcomes. While winning 100 percent of cases is unlikely, you do want to hire an attorney who has been successful most of the time, particularly when handling cases like yours. In addition to asking the attorney about their case results, you should also consider asking the attorney whether they have any previous clients that you can talk to, or, at the very least, referrals/reviews that you can read.

In addition to case outcome, you also want to hire an attorney who’s in good standing. You can use the website of the Mississippi Bar Association to check a lawyer’s standing.

Trial Experience 

Not only do you want to hire an attorney with relevant experience, but also one with trial experience, too. While most cases will settle out of court without going to trial, in the event that you have an especially complex case that does require litigation, you don’t want an attorney whose first time to court is while working on your case.

Connection

“Connection” in this context can be hard to define, but essentially, you want to hire an attorney with whom you have a good personal connection. Remember, this is someone with whom you will be working for multiple weeks or months, if not longer. If you don’t like the attorney or don’t get a good first impression, it may be hard for you to open up to the attorney, regardless of how great of a lawyer they are.

Also consider that in addition to the attorney, there will also be others who are likely working on your case in the attorney’s office. Don’t be afraid to ask who will be working on your case and request to meet them. It’s your right to be clear on the process and to have an understanding of who will work on your case and what your own role will be.

Fee Structure

One of the most important things to consider before hiring an attorney is an attorney’s fee structure. There are a variety of fee structures that exist in the legal world, including retainer fees, hourly fees, flat fees, and contingency fees. For car accident claims, an attorney should always work on a contingency fee basis. This means that an attorney’s fee is contingent, or dependent, on the outcome of your case. If your case is successful and you receive a settlement, then the attorney will receive a percentage (agreed upon in advance) of your winnings; if your case is unsuccessful and you do not receive a settlement, then you will not owe the attorney anything.

In addition to a contingent-fee basis, the attorney should also offer a free case consultation. If they don’t, don’t hire them.

Contact Mississippi Car Accident Attorney Today

To learn more about what to do after a crash, the role of an attorney, and what to look for in a great car accident attorney, contact Mississippi Car Accident Attorney or send us a confidential message online today. We are here for you.