When you, or someone you love, is injured in an accident, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially if brain damage is involved. This is when you need the best brain injury lawyer that you can find to represent you or your loved one.
Choosing a brain injury lawyer can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for and the right questions to ask. Here are some guidelines for selecting the right attorney.
Questions to Ask Brain Injury Lawyers
Choosing a brain injury lawyer involves asking the right questions. Here are some significant guidelines when interviewing potential attorneys.
- Be sure that any lawyer you’re considering is experienced in neurolaw, which is a law specialty focusing on traumatic brain injury cases.
- Ask prospective attorneys if they fully understand the special challenges involved with traumatic brain injuries.
- Check for the qualifications of the attorneys you interview. For example, ask them if they have board certification from their state’s bar. Check if they’re board certificated by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
- See if a lawyer is listed in the National Directory of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Services.
- Ask lawyers how many other brain injury cases that they’ve handled, as well as the number of cases that they’ve won.
Cost Considerations
Cost should be a major consideration when choosing a brain injury lawyer. Brain injury attorneys charge on either a contingency basis or on an hourly basis.
In most cases, a contingency basis is used for payment because there can be many hours involved in a brain injury case. In other words, the most you pay depends on what percentage of an award that your lawyer recovers for you. Contingency fees are usually negotiable. The greater the damages that are involved and the more severe the case, the more you will be able to negotiate a fee arrangement.
If your payment is based on an hourly basis, be sure an attorney gives you a reasonable quote. What’s more, you need to keep an accurate record on how much time your attorney spends on your case.
Considerations and Warnings
Make sure that any attorney that you choose has enough time to devote to your case. That’s why it’s a good idea to ask prospective lawyers the number of cases that they have pending. Don’t let a lawyer take you on as a client and then have you wait a year, or longer, to file suit. Realize that delays can hurt you.
Although the worth of a case can vary, depending on various factors, such as liability and uncertain medical concerns, a good lawyer should still have a rough ballpark estimate of what your case is worth. Therefore, ask for a monetary estimate of your case. Just be cautious of lawyers making unrealistic claims that seem too good to be true.
When you select the brain injury attorney that’s best suited for your case, you can rest assured that everything will be done professionally and in proper order. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us for help.
