There are many attorneys to choose from when it comes to finding a New York personal injury lawyer after an accident. Most offer a free consultation so you can learn more about them and their firm before committing to either.
Discussing the details of your case will be a key part of this consultation. At the same time, bring questions of your own to the talk so you can learn more about the firm’s overall success record and the individual attorney’s qualifications, experience, and philosophy.
Some recommended questions include:
Can you handle my case?
This question assesses how much time and attention an attorney realistically has to devote to your case. A one-person firm will not typically have the same time and resources as a more established law firm that employs multiple lawyers, paralegals and in-house medical experts.
Do you have experience with my case type?
There are many different kinds of personal injury cases and therefore many different areas in which personal injury lawyers have proficiency. For instance, some complex medical malpractice cases or product liability cases require extra levels of experience and knowledge. You want to retain a law firm with significant experience with the type of claim and the nature of injury involved in your case.
What is your courtroom experience?
If a defendant is not willing to pay appropriate compensation in a pretrial settlement, your case should go to trial. Therefore, your attorney needs to have a solid track record of courtroom success. The absence of an experienced trial lawyer would be a serious hindrance to a successful outcome. Therefore, when seeking for a law firm to represent you in a personal injury action, a firm with experienced trial lawyers should be a top priority.
What is your fee for taking my case?
Personal injury firms almost always work on a contingency basis, which means they do not get paid unless they win or settle the case. Only after settlement or verdict will the lawyer will be paid a percentage of the recovery. That is usually one-third in personal injury cases, but a sliding scale is employed in New York medical malpractice actions. There are costs and expenditures associated with litigation, which may be passed on to the client. Different firms have different policies with regard to those costs and expenditures, and you should ask what those policies are.
How long will a resolution take?
No lawyer will be able to give you a definite time frame because court cases are unpredictable. An experienced lawyer who is familiar with your type of case will know enough to give you a general time frame. Track the answers of each attorney you interview during the consultation process. Those who have similar experiences will most likely have similar answers.
At KDLM, we have a very high success rate in representing plaintiffs, due in part to our selection process of cases that we accept. While there are many types of legal problems, not all are a good fit for our law firm. If you have a personal injury claim that you would like to discuss, contact us at (212) 618-6800 or fill out this online form to request a consultation.