Let’s face the fact – most people won’t look for a car accident lawyer when things are smooth, and the reason is simple: no one anticipates an accident. But the sad reality is that accidents happen almost every day, and you don’t need to wait until you’re a victim before you begin to search for the ‘best car accident attorney near me’.
Many people begin to prepare themselves for such eventualities long before they happen. Some of the ways to prepare for such situations include:
- Get the right insurance for you
- Have a smart car accident lawyer on your side.
But with the many car accident attorneys today, it’s hard to find the perfect one. A simple search with the keywords ‘best car accident attorney near me’ will result in a sea of options. But should you trust all the options? Definitely no! So, how should you know the right ‘car accident attorney near me’ to contact?
This article provides five areas you should look at to know that a car accident lawyer is right for you.
Things to Check When Finding The Best Car Accident Attorney Near Me
Now that you’re ready to begin your search for an experienced car accident attorney near me, take a look at some top things to look out for before choosing a lawyer.
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Experience
Remember the good old saying? Experience beats everything. Well, the same is applicable to car accident lawyers or any other kind of lawyer, for that matter. There’s so much that experience can do for you – but the most obvious one is the probability that they’ve handled an identical task before. Your best chance of winning this kind of case comes from hiring a lawyer who knows the system. Several factors can influence a lawyer’s quality, but nothing beats experience. If you can get a ‘car accident attorney near me‘ who has won many cases in the past, you’re one step ahead. They can always translate their experience to your case to help you navigate tough turns. Besides, it typically means they know about potential problems and can avoid them.
2. Cost and Billing
The fact remains that cost is a major factor when selecting an attorney to represent you. You don’t want to hire a lawyer only to realize midway through your case that you can’t afford their bill anymore. That’s why you should request to know all the costs involved on time before hiring an attorney. Fortunately, most options that pop up when you search the keywords “best car accident attorney near me” have their quotes on their website. But it’s not just enough to look at these quotes and assume what you’ll pay. Go the extra step to verify whether there are any hidden charges involved. Different attorneys charge differently. However, the most common types of charges include:
- Hourly rate: in this case, the attorney bills you per hour based on the number of hours they invest into your case.
- Flat fee: involves paying an upfront fee from the beginning of your case. This may seem pretty expensive at first, but it usually balances out as your case progresses.
- Negotiable fee: some attorneys are willing to negotiate their fees. For instance, while they charge hourly, they could be willing to negotiate a fee cap they won’t exceed, irrespective of the time invested in your case.
- Contingency fee: lawyers that adopt this payment system won’t charge you if they lose the case. However, be ready to pay a percentage of your court-awarded winning if you win the case.
3. Availability and Communication
You also want to find out your lawyer’s potential schedule. This way, you can be sure they will dedicate enough time to pursuing your case. Unfortunately, most attorneys would not specify details like this on their website. Thus, there is a need for proper due diligence before hiring any lawyer. Beyond searching for the best car accident attorney near me, take the time to interview them. Ask them vital questions like the quantity of their caseload and how much time they invest into each case. This way, you can know what to expect from their work in terms of availability.
What’s more, some lawyers fall short when it comes to providing adequate correspondence with their clients. This can be a major cause for disaster because you won’t know the status of your case or when to provide more information. Therefore, opt for a ‘car accident attorney near me’ that takes the time to explain every step of the process to you.
4. Location
Although often overlooked, location is such an important aspect to look at when searching for a car accident attorney. Law varies by state and it’ll help to hire a lawyer that’s familiar with the legal requirements in your area. As a result, you should search using terms like car accident attorney in Philadelphia or car accident attorney near me. This way, you can get an attorney that understands your local laws and can interpret it accordingly.
5. Reputation
A car accident claim is a very sensitive case that requires top-level expertise. Therefore, you want to ensure that your lawyer knows their stuff. Whether they’re representing you or offering advice, be sure that they’re up to the bill. How can you know this? By asking about them from people they’ve worked with before. Most people will not shy away from recommending an attorney that’s good enough. However, if their reputation is sketchy, people won’t go all the way out to recommend their service to you. And that’s a red flag you shouldn’t ignore, especially if you’ve set your sights on winning your car accident case.
The Coleman Law Group Can Help You
Finding a car accident lawyer that ticks all these boxes can be very difficult. Most people search online for “the best car accident attorney near me.” But is that enough? You must also be sure your choice of attorney is suitable for the job. This is where contacting law firms like the Coleman Law Group can help. Our team of experienced car accident lawyers will go above and beyond to fight for you and your car accident claim without stress.
