Getting The Right Legal Representation

How To Find The Right Attorney For You

Finding the right attorney to represent you in a personal injury case can feel overwhelming, but there are ways to make it more manageable. For starters, ask questions that give you a decent sense of their experience settling car wreck cases. You want an attorney who understands the process in and out, knows how to present a case well, and is ready to navigate the hurdles that will come up along the way to settling your case.

You should also ask questions that give you an idea of the attorney’s ultimate goal. Do they want to get as many cases as possible in litigation? Is it their goal to get cases settled? Their response may be a red flag, depending on how they answer. Ultimately, the case is yours, not theirs. Their role should be to counsel you on the case options in relation to the law and court system. They should never assume that it’s their case and thus dictate the outcome. An attorney should always look out for your best interest.

Additionally, you may want to keep in mind that you will need to share a lot of private information with the attorney. So when meeting them for the first time, make sure you are comfortable with them in that sense. You should also feel that you can contact your attorney relatively freely and that they and their staff will take time to resolve your complaints or questions.

This brings us to the next consideration: the size of the firm. Is it a big or a small firm? Each firm’s size has advantages and disadvantages. Having an idea of what you expect out of the firm will help inform what size you should hire.

Lastly, remember that not all attorneys charge the same amount or in the same manner. Ask questions clarifying how much and how the attorney will charge you. Most personal injury attorneys in North Carolina work on a contingency basis, receiving a percentage of the settlement after the case, so many people assume all attorneys charge the same way and amount. But while personal injury attorneys generally charge the same way, they do not all charge the same amount.

Fortunately, this means that while affording personal injury legal representation may be considered to be out of many people’s reach, it’s not necessarily the reality. This is because the attorney’s fees come out of the settlement in most retainer agreements. As a result, most attorneys who do personal injury work understand that their income is directly tied to the value they can bring to the client in the settlement process.

Therefore, you should not have any major concerns about hiring an attorney based on being able to afford one upfront. Especially since this fee structure has an added benefit: the better the settlement amount is, the more potential income the attorney will have. In other words, it gives your attorney a vested interest in finding you the best possible outcome for your case.

What Can A Lawyer Do That You Cannot Do For Yourself?

There are certain collisions where you do not need an attorney to represent you. These cases include those where there is a clear liability with limited damages. But if you end up needing extended medical care because you suffered severe injuries because of a collision, you should at least seriously consider hiring an attorney.

The reasons for this are simple. Many individuals lack an adequate understanding of how the claims process works and cannot rightly assess the value of their claim. Because of this, many resort to searching the internet, where they find inaccurate information. Many people have told me that they read they could receive three times the amount of their medical bills. This just simply is not the case.

The laws governing the allocation of medical bill payments are extremely complex. Depending on whether it falls under federal or state statutes, the obligation for reimbursement to health insurance may vary. Additionally, there are limits on the amount that medical providers can claim from the settlement. Furthermore, there are separate rules and regulations in cases involving underinsured or uninsured individuals, determining who receives payment and in what manner. Therefore, even if the facts of a case are relatively straightforward, the legal framework surrounding a crash and its impact on medical bill settlements can be exceedingly intricate.

Another crucial factor to consider is that individuals who attempt to negotiate their case independently usually lack all the necessary information to make good decisions. For instance, in a minor accident where one party may not have sustained significant injuries, but the other party was intoxicated, the insurance company representing the at-fault party will not willingly disclose that the person was drunk. As a result, the injured party may not be aware that they are entitled to punitive damages, which are meant to punish the responsible party for driving under the influence. Insurance companies prioritize settling cases quickly and efficiently to protect their and the insured’s interests. Their job is not to protect you or seek your best outcome. Do not forget this.

What Sets Our Firm Apart

The heart of our legal practice lies in serving people who have been victims of car accidents. Because of this, everything we do is geared toward settling cases as effectively, efficiently, and fairly as possible. In addition, because we are concentrated in the car wreck area, we keep up to date on different types of accidents across many counties and how these cases are handled, constantly improving our practice as necessary.

Having previously been in law enforcement and worked as an insurance adjuster gives me a unique insight into how to move cases through the system and resolve them. Because of my background, I know there are certain things insurance adjusters have to be able to move a case along.

Finally, we believe that the size of our practice allows us to do the best for our clients. Being a small firm, we can have relationships with our clients that are very different than if we were a large firm. We get to know our clients and understand what they are going through because we do not have thousands of them. And although we take cases across the state, we predominantly focus on the local area of Northwest North Carolina – so we are here where the cases we are involved with happen. All of this adds up to one singular truth, at North State Auto Law, our focus is you.

For more information on Choosing The Right Personal Injury Legal Representation, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (336) 999-0944 today.