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10 Questions to Ask if You are Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
By:
Deutschmann Personal Injury & Disability Law (Lawyers)
| Published 10/02/2016
Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer is a process that you should consider carefully. It's important to hire someone that you feel comfortable speaking to - you'll be talking to them a lot, often about intensely personal and difficult topics. There should be a sense of trust between you. You should hire a lawyer with extensive experience in personal injury law - you wouldn't see a family doctor for a heart transplant.
You should ask around to your friends, and your personal lawyer for references. Consider the referrals carefully and do some research online, short list the candidates, and start meeting with them. You will get a sense of how things go when you sit down together. The first consultation should be free.
Here are some key questions you might want to ask:
- How long have you been practicing personal injury law?
- Have you represented people with similar injuries to mine?
- Are you a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association?
- Will you handle my case personally or will someone else in the firm handle it?
- Do you volunteer in the community?
- Do you have investigators, expert witnesses, and physicians who can help me with my case?
- Will you handle my fee on a contingency basis or percentage fee?
- Can you come to my home/hospital/speak with me on the phone if I can’t’ come to your office?
- Is the first consultation free?
- Will you fight for a settlement if the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement?
Law firm websites are a great source of information about the lawyer. Is it complete? Does it have references from clients? Does it have a Q&A section? Does the lawyer mention the sort of injury you have on their website? Do they seem current with up to date news and legal articles? Can you contact them online?
I am proud of the work we do at Paquette, Travers and Deutschmann Law. If you require a personal injury lawyer I am happy to discuss your case with you.
