Questions to ask when hiring a personal injury lawyer
Personal Injury lawyers for Arvada, Broomfield
Do you have professional liability insurance?
As an accident victim, you'll also be protected by that insurance, in case any mistakes are made that might hurt your case.
How long have you been working on personal injury cases?
- You want a lawyer with lots of experience, both in court and in negotiations. You don't want one who'll make his beginner's mistakes on you! Ask how many cases he's won and whether any of them were very similar to yours. Of course, every injury scenario is unique, but the goal here is to assess his expertise.
- Also ask how recent the experience is, because laws change and you'll want someone who's current with the most recent interpretations and judgments.
- Ask whether the lawyer has a Martindale-Hubbell rating. Martindale-Hubbell is a national peer review system for lawyers. All ratings are positive. If the lawyer has no rating, ask why. There could be a valid reason. These ratings include the ethical aspect as well as success in winning lawsuits.
- The top rating, gained only after at least 5 to 10 years (depending on the lawyer's location) is AV and means there's been significant accomplishment and other lawyers hold this person in the highest professional regard.
- The second rating is BV and means the person is doing an excellent job, but probably hasn't been in the profession as long as someone with an AV rating.
- The lowest rating (still positive!) is CV and is given to lawyers who recently started out in the profession and who are doing excellent work.
How much will you charge and when?
We covered this a bit under lawyer's Fees above. Don't be timid about getting this all very clear. Ask also if you'd be charged anything if no compensation is paid to you, whether for the lawyer's time, or any of his expenses.
Will you be available if I have a question?
Some lawyers would rather have you speak with one of their paralegals. Sometimes this would be perfectly fine, but you'll want to speak with the lawyer himself at times too. So get this issue clear right up front.
What alternatives are there for resolving this claim?
Mediation and arbitration are alternatives to filing a lawsuit. Ask what experience the lawyer has with these options and whether one of them might be appropriate in your case.
Would my spouse be entitled to any of the settlement award?
This might or might not be much of an issue for you. If money is an issue between you and your spouse, or if divorce is anywhere on the horizon, be sure to get as much information as you can about any rights or claims your spouse might want to assert.
Which parent would bring the claim for a child's injury?
This question is for when a child is injured whose parents are divorced. Ask what would happen to the compensation payment, whether just one parent would have access to it, or both, or might it be put in a trust somehow?
How would the compensation amount be determined?
The lump sum you would eventually receive would include amounts for various aspects of the injury, or its consequences, or its probable consequences.
- Medical expenses -- doctors, hospitals
- Rehabilitation expenses -- physiotherapy, job re-training, etc.
- Lost wages - if the injury caused lost work time. If you have a permanent disability resulting from the injury, future wages would also be estimated in this amount.
- Disfigurement - it you have permanent scarring or other disfigurement there'll be an amount owed to you for the embarrassment and humiliation.
- Wrongful death - if someone in your family was killed in whatever event caused your injury, you and other family members will be entitled to compensation for that loss, including economic loss, companionship, protection, loss of society, and other elements of the loss
- Pain and suffering - this might seem like a vague thing to translate into money. There are some rules of thumb, such as "3 times the medical costs", that are designed to compensate for the physical pain, mental distress, emotional turmoil, etc.
- Punitive damages - this is an amount assessed against anybody who was reckless or irresponsible in bringing about your injury.
As you ask these questions and listen to the answers, you can be assessing in your own mind what sort of person this is. Are the answers thoughtful or slap-dash? Did he hear accurately what you asked? Does he seem impatient to get on to some other activity?
You want to choose a lawyer who has time for you and will work conscientiously on your case. As the conversation proceeds, be sure and ask what the various legal terms mean, such as Tort, Comparative Negligence, Strict Liability, Proximate Cause, Intervening Cause, etc.
Click here for a free consultation with an Arvada area personal injury lawyer today. We will answer all your questions to help you understand your situation from a legal perspective. We'll look at the facts, assess your situation, and explain legal terms. If you choose to retain us, we'll assign whatever resources are needed to bring your case to a successful conclusion. At all stages of the process, we'll be available to explain and answer your further questions.
Greater Denver metro area and Colorado personal injury lawyers.
Hull and Zimmerman, P.C.
2921 W. 120th Ave., Ste 220
Westminster, Colorado 80234
Phone: 303-423-1770
Fax: 303-423-2102
Toll Free: 1-866-385-3505
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