What to Ask a Fishers Car Accident Lawyer

The population of Fishers has ballooned over the past two decades, and unfortunately the number of Fishers car accidents has ballooned as well, with 2,066 crashes just in 2021. If you have been hurt in a collision in the Fishers area, you may be thinking about hiring an attorney but are unsure how to choose […]

July 2, 2024

Questions Can Help You Evaluate a Fishers Car Accident Lawyer

You will have to work very closely with your attorney for the foreseeable future, so it is crucial to select one you can trust. After coming up with a list of candidates, one of the best methods for narrowing that list down is to interview the candidates face to face, and the following questions can help you evaluate a prospective Fishers car accident lawyer:

Question 1. Can I Handle My Own Car Accident Case?

Any attorney worth his or her salt should be able to explain why you may not want to represent yourself during talks with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, the primary source of financial recovery. Though you are entitled to handle your own car accident case, you could be at a major disadvantage if you do. This may be your first serious car accident, but it won’t be the first for the insurance adjuster, who could take advantage of your inexperience to settle your claim for less or deny it outright.

In contrast, a seasoned car accident attorney will be better equipped to meet the adjuster on a level playing field, countering the standard negotiating tactics used to undermine claimants. Your lawyer can accurately calculate what your case is worth and will endeavor to equal or exceed it, which is why personal injury plaintiffs with attorneys statistically obtain 3.5 times more than plaintiffs without attorneys.

Question 2. How Much Does It Cost to Hire You?

Most car accidents lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means that it costs nothing up front to hire them, and they may even cover some of the preliminary fees associated with car accident cases. Only after a favorable outcome is achieved will your attorney seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and payment for services rendered, typically as a percentage of your settlement or verdict.

If a Fishers car accident lawyer demands funds for you at the start of your case, you should consider looking for someone else, since such a significant deviation from accepted protocol may put this individual’s intentions in doubts.

Question 3. What Can I Get for My Car Accident?

The only honest answer to this question is “I cannot give you an exact dollar amount.” Even though injured motorists are likely to receive far more with professional representation, naming a specific figure so early on is a red flag, since too much is uncertain at this point.

As frustrating as it may be to hear, every car accident is different, and what you can get for yours will depend upon many variables, including the underlying circumstances, the damages incurred, and the applicable insurance coverage, among others.

While a capable Fishers car accident attorney will strive to maximize your case, there is no way of knowing the ceiling for compensation without knowing all the facts. To say otherwise would be either misleading or naïve – neither of which is an appealing trait in a lawyer.

Question 4. How Long Will My Case Take?

This is another question with a potentially unsatisfying answer. Once again, every car accident case is different, so it is impossible to say at the outset how long your own case will take. To some degree, its duration will be influenced by the Statute of Limitations, which is the time allotted by law to file a lawsuit. The Statute is two years for most car accident cases in Indiana, but that does not mean that yours will take that long to come to a resolution.

Some cases could settle well ahead of that date, while others could be concluded long after it has passed (assuming a suit has already been filed). Ultimately, it will come down to the particulars of your case. A skilled Fishers car accident attorney will always try to get you swift results but will not sacrifice the quality of those results to meet an arbitrary deadline.

Fighting for Hardworking Hoosiers

We hope that this article has been useful. And if you have been wrongfully injured, we hope that you get in touch with the Fishers car accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, who have been fighting for hardworking Hoosiers like you for more than 25 years.

Please call or text us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation with an accomplished Fishers car accident attorney today.