If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, you need a lawyer to help protect your rights and ensure you get all the compensation you’re legally entitled to. Getting a trucking accident attorney is key to winning your case. However, how do you choose the best truck accident lawyer?
There are six things that you should look for when meeting with attorneys to take your truck accident case:
- Specific Truck Accident Experience and Exceptional Results
- Lawyer Who Listens and Tells You the Truth
- Lawyer Who is Willing to Go to Trial if Necessary
- Lawyer Who Explains Your Role
- Offers Free Consultation
- Clear Attorney Fee Agreement
Specific Truck Accident Experience and Exceptional Results
Truck accidents are considered a subcategory of personal injury law. However, you do not want a general personal injury lawyer representing you in a truck accident case. Truck accidents are different from standard auto accidents. Different legal principles are involved, and the mechanics of truck accident cases are different.
You want a lawyer who deals with the complex insurance and liability issues that are frequently a part of truck accident litigation.
You don’t want to risk working with an attorney who is learning on the job. This case is very important to you.
When meeting with a lawyer or scheduling an appointment with their office, you should ask if they have any truck accident experience. If an attorney has never handled a truck accident case, you find someone else to take your case.
An experienced truck accident lawyer can hit the ground running and be better prepared to get you a larger settlement or judgment. Ask about the attorney’s actual case results in semi-truck accident cases.
Lawyers Who Listen and Who Tell You the Truth
While you may be going to the lawyer for advice, it’s a red flag if the lawyer does all the talking and doesn’t ask you any questions or listen to your responses.
It’s impossible to analyze a case until you have the facts accurately. The best truck accident lawyers are comfortable with silence and willing to let you tell your story. A good lawyer will ask you a lot of questions. They will want to know everything you can remember about the accident and what happened before and after it. Great lawyers will also understand that additional investigation may be needed.
One of the most important things to look for in a truck accident lawyer is finding one willing to tell you bad news. No case is perfect. Every case has some issues. Often, there are going to be roadblocks and problems.
You want a lawyer willing to tell you the truth about your situation and ready to work hard to represent you in your case, even if sometimes they have to share bad news with you.
Truck Accident Lawyers Willing to Go to Trial
Most cases settle out of court. This is true in truck accident cases as well. However, you want to ensure a lawyer will take your case to trial if required.
In truck accident cases, the value of the case is tied to what both sides believe a jury would award you if your case went to trial. This means an experienced trial attorney will better evaluate your case than a lawyer who never goes to trial.
Also, defense attorneys know which plaintiff’s attorneys are willing to go to trial and which avoid trial at all costs. Lawyers not willing to go to trial cannot command the same settlement offers that lawyers willing to go to trial can command.
Even though the chances of your case going to trial are probably small, you still want to make sure you have a lawyer committed to fighting for your cause to a jury if necessary.
Your Role in Your Case
A truck accident case is a partnership between you and your lawyer. You want a lawyer that can explain what your role in the case will be. You need to know what your lawyer expects of you.
The lawyer may be the one doing all of the negotiating, but you are the ultimate decision-maker. You also are the one who has to help the lawyer gather the evidence they need.
You also need a lawyer who expects you to be completely honest with them. Holding back information that you think is not important or that you think could hurt your case may ruin your case if it is not shared.
If you are uncomfortable communicating with your lawyer, they are not right for you.
Free Consultations
Personal Injury Lawyers are typically going to offer a free initial consultation. This is also true of truck accident attorneys.
The initial consultation is a chance for you to get to know the lawyer and for the lawyer to get to know you and your case. After the consultation, you must decide if you’re a good match.
Often, the lawyer will tell you at the end of the consultation if they are interested in taking your case and then will discuss the next steps with you.
While many lawyers charge consultation fees, it is extremely unusual for a personal injury lawyer to do so.
Attorney Fees
You will enter into a contingency fee agreement with your attorney for most truck accident cases. A contingent fee agreement means you will not have to pay any upfront attorney fees. Instead, your lawyer will only get paid if you get a settlement or judgment.
The lawyer will get a percentage of whatever they recover for you.
You want to work with a lawyer who is open about their fees. Your lawyer should give you a written fee agreement that explains how their fees work. They also should not be willing to take any steps to represent you until you have returned the signed fee agreement with them.
Signing a fee agreement should not feel like signing paperwork at a car dealership. The best truck accident lawyers are comfortable having you take the paperwork home to review and sign. They will not pressure you to sign anything in the initial consultation.
Going through a truck accident is a frightening, traumatic experience. You want to choose a truck accident law firm you feel comfortable with and are confident in their ability to handle your case.
Also Read: How Can a Lawyer Help in an Override Truck Accident?
