So, you’ve been in a car accident; now what? Car accidents happen all the time. Some are serious, while others are a slight bump. For serious accidents, there are often legal implications, especially if neither driver claims fault for the accident. While less severe accidents can be dealt with outside of court simply. 

If you’ve been in an accident that requires you to seek legal counsel, then here are some questions you might want to ask your lawyer and some they might ask you. 

What are your fees?

Hiring a lawyer can be expensive, especially if your case has complications. Because of this, you don’t want to hire a lawyer blindly and not be able to afford their retainer fees at the end of your case because you were unaware of their costs. 

So, before you officially hire a lawyer, ask them what their fees are upfront and if there will be any unforeseen costs that might come your way during the proceedings. In most cases, accident lawyers use a contingency-based income system based on whether you receive compensation for your accident or not. 

What documents or information do you need?

Your attorney might tell you this before you ask, but if they don’t, ask them what documentation they need from you. Usually, they’d need anything related to the accident. That includes photos, accident reports, medical injury reports, damage reports for the car, and anything else related to the accident. Lawyers work with facts and evidence. So, the more they have to go on, the better. 

What compensation can you expect from the case?

For many people, asking about compensation is a sensitive topic, while others are happy to try and get as much as they can from an accident, which has put a bad stigma on these kinds of legal cases. That said, asking your lawyer what you should expect in terms of remuneration is a good idea because it helps you adopt the right approach and avoid the risk of being taken advantage of if your opponent comes with a low offer. You don’t need your lawyer to give you an exact figure to go on, but ask them if they can give you a “ballpark” figure. 

How long do you think this case will be?

Car accidents can throw a spanner in the works for everyone involved. If your car is severely damaged, then you might have to find an alternative source of transportation until the legal side is sorted out and your car gets fixed. This in itself can be a hassle. So, ask your lawyer how long they think your case will take. Determining how long a case will be can be difficult, but, if you have an experienced car accident lawyer, they could probably give you a rough estimate of how long your case will take. 

Will you communicate with my insurers?

When there’s a physical injury in an accident, you’ll likely need to contact your insurer to deal with it. However, when you hire a lawyer, they’ll generally take this role and work with your insurer to try to get you the best deal possible to compensate for your injury and the damage done to your car. Some lawyers might not do this but rather advise you on how to deal with your insurer, which isn’t what you want. So, ask them how they’ll approach this situation. 

Can we solve this outside the court?

For minor accidents, you might want to try and solve the case outside of court to reduce the costs for both parties involved. In this case, you can ask your lawyer if they see any way in which the case can be worked out between you and the other party involved in the accident in an endeavour to avoid court. If there is, then your lawyer would most likely advise you on how to do so. 

Questions that car accident attorneys may ask their clients

Now, as you’d expect, your lawyer needs to get up to speed with what happened in the accident so they can best protect and fight for your interests. To do that, they’ll also ask you questions like:

How did the accident happen?

Accidents happen so fast, so there might not be a lot to tell here, but the more information you can give your lawyer about the accident, the more they have to build a case for you. So, this is where you need to be extremely clear and detailed about your accounts of the event. Suppose you’re able to, get a dashcam to record when an accident takes place. Also, take photos of the accident zone to record the position of the cars and any other important information that could benefit your case. 

Did you suffer any severe or permanent injuries?

While some injuries of this nature might seem fairly evident, your lawyer might ask you about any severe injuries you received from the accident and how they’ve impacted your ability to work. For example, if you’re a writer and both your hands were injured in the accident you won’t be able to work until you’re recovered. Your lawyer will then be able to get you compensation based on your needs more appropriately. 

Final Thoughts

When dealing with lawyers for a car accident claim, it’s helpful to go in with the right frame of mind, knowing what to expect and what questions to ask. Be mindful of how lawyers work and go in prepared.