A car accident can be a scary, damaging experience. Regardless of who caused the accident, a car crash victim may have serious injuries that require extensive treatment, face substantial medical bills, and address the uncertainty that may arise from an inability to work during recovery. These are just a few reasons why it’s so important to secure legal counsel after a car accident caused by a negligent driver or other liable party. If you need a Denver car accident attorney, there are a few factors you should consider carefully before agreeing to representation.
Car Accident Case Experience and Areas of Special Focus and Skill
Ideally, you should seek a Denver car accident lawyer with a respectable number of years of experience in civil law. While there are many talented new lawyers practicing throughout Colorado today, experience is typically the one factor that provides personal injury clients with the greatest potential of maximizing their recovery.
It’s also vital to consider an attorney’s main areas of practice. For example, if you need a personal injury lawyer and have the choice between a personal injury attorney with 10 years of experience in civil law and a defense attorney with 20 years’ experience who only recently started representing clients in civil cases, the attorney with a decade of hands-on experience with civil law is probably the safer bet for your personal injury lawsuit. Additionally, if you need legal counsel for a car accident claim, make sure your attorney has a reasonable amount of experience with these types of cases. You wouldn’t want an attorney who specializes in dog bite cases or premises liability cases and minimal experience with car accident lawsuits handling your claim.
Availability and Accessibility
It is not uncommon for personal injury attorneys to manage several cases at once. There are often large time lapses between proceedings for specific cases, providing attorneys with the time and room to serve multiple clients at a time. If you are interviewing a potential attorney, ask them about their current caseload to determine how much time they are going to be able to devote to your car accident claim.
In addition to their availability, you should also seek to find out how easy it will be to get in touch with your attorney and how responsive they are to your communications. If you email the attorney, can you expect a response in a few hours or a few days? Is the attorney prompt about returning missed calls and voicemail messages? Does the attorney approve of text communication with clients? What other services does the attorney’s firm offer to make handling your case faster and easier? These are all very important questions to ask when deciding on a car accident attorney.
Cost and Transparency
Legal fees can be expensive, but if every lawyer charged solely by the hour, then many average people would not be able to afford legal representation when they need it most. This is why many personal injury attorneys operate on contingency fee billing. With a contingency fee agreement, the client may or may not pay anything upfront, and the attorney receives legal fees as a portion of the case award. For example, a personal injury attorney may ask for 10% to 25% or more of the case award as their legal fee depending on their billing practices and the complexity of the case.
It’s important to get the most accurate picture possible of the amount you will be spending on legal fees if you hire the attorney. Ask them about their billing practices, what their contingency fee usually is for cases like yours, and any extra fees that you might expect. Any trustworthy attorney who believes you have a solid case will want to be transparent with you to earn your business.
Find the Right Legal Representative for Your Denver Car Accident Claim
There are many personal injury attorneys operating in the Denver area. Each one offers a unique level of experience and insight into a potential client’s case. If you need legal representation after a car accident in Denver, it’s important to act quickly to maximize your chances of securing compensation, but you don’t want to rush into an attorney-client agreement without assessing your options for legal counsel first. Develop a list of questions for a potential attorney that allows you to evaluate the attorney’s experience, accessibility, and affordability. Be sure to develop some questions that uniquely apply to your specific case.
The Law Firm of Jeremy Rosenthal has a stellar professional record and is fully committed to our clients’ recoveries after suffering injuries and economic damages from accidents caused by negligent drivers. If you are unsure about your legal options after a car accident in Denver, contact us today to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Denver car accident attorney.
