Bisnar Chase 2019 attorneys

Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney to Handle Your Case

Call 949-203-3814 If You Need Immediate Help With a Personal Injury Claim

When you or a family member has suffered an injury due to someone else's negligence or wrongdoing, you can file what is known as a personal injury claim seeking compensation for damages such as medical expenses and lost wages.

In the case of commonly occurring incidents such as car accidents, it may seem natural that the person responsible for causing the accident or his or her insurance company will do the right thing and offer the victim a fair settlement.

Unfortunately, that seldom happens in the real world. Many at-fault parties - be it individuals, entities or large corporations - refuse to take responsibility for their actions and insurance companies routinely deny claims or use their well-trained adjusters to minimize the value of the claims.

Do You Need a Lawyer?

If you have suffered a loss in an incident such as a car accident, it is important to evaluate whether you need to retain the services of a lawyer. If you have not suffered any injury, but have suffered property damage, you can handle the claim yourself by going through the insurance companies involved. However, if you have suffered injuries, have incurred medical expenses and have lost income as a result of taking time off work, then, it would be in your best interest to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer and obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.

A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer will know how to build and bolster your case, how to negotiate a fair settlement and if necessary, how to take your case to trial. Insurance companies typically try to take advantage of plaintiffs by getting statements and information from you that could hurt your claim. With the prevalence of social media, insurance adjusters even take to Facebook or Twitter to dig up information against claimants and use such details against them. A skilled injury attorney will know how to deal with insurance companies and help protect your rights every step of the way. See our timeline of a typical car accident case to learn more about how a lawyer will handle your case.

Choosing the Right Personal Injury Lawyer

As a claimant or plaintiff in the case, you have absolute control when it comes to choosing an attorney to represent you. The choice you make is critical because it can make or break your case. In addition to altering the type of experience you have with the legal process, your decision in this regard can also make a significant difference in your final net compensation and your feeling of an appropriate resolution in the end. There are several factors to consider before making this crucial decision:

Areas of expertise: When you look at law firms, pay special attention to their practice areas or areas of expertise. What types of cases do they handle? Do they dabble in a variety of areas such as criminal defense, personal injury and family law or do they specialize in one area? You want to choose an attorney who has experience and a successful track record when it comes to handling cases similar to yours.

For example, if you are considering filing an auto product liability case after having suffered catastrophic injuries in an accident, you do not want to approach an attorney or a law firm that handles minor car accident cases. In this particular situation, you need the support of a law firm that has the skill, experience and resources to pursue large automakers, and a firm that frequently deals with product liability cases and serious injury cases.

Costs involved: Most injury claims are expensive to pursue, which is why you need a resourceful attorney in the first place. You need an attorney who will work on a contingent fee basis. This means that you do not have pay anything until your attorney recovers compensation for you. The attorney will advance the costs of pursuing your claim and will not ask you to repay them if the case is unsuccessful.

If there is a recovery, the attorney will get a percentage as his or her fees. The Bisnar Chase personal injury law firm gives clients this guarantee. We protect you from liability and if you follow our advice and do not win your case, you will not pay. Not every attorney works on a contingent fee basis.

Ask questions: It is important that you schedule a face-to-face meeting with the attorney in his or her office. Here are some critical questions to ask during your meeting:

  • What are your areas of specialization?
  • Is the initial consultation free?
  • Have you handled cases similar to mine?
  • How many cases have you handled and what was the outcome?
  • Who will work on my case?
  • Will you take my case on a contingent fee basis?
  • Will you advance the costs and not look to me to repay if its not won?
  • How long will it take for my case to be resolved?
  • How will your office keep me informed about the case's progress?
  • How long will you take to return my calls?
  • How many cases do you settle versus taking to trial?
  • Have you been disciplined by an ethics committee? If so, why?
  • Will you go to trial if I'm not satisfied with the settlement?
  • May I see testimonials from other previous clients?

Protecting Your Rights

Finally, choose an attorney with whom you can have a good working relationship. Make sure you can get along with the person. Ask yourself if you are happy with the way you were treated when you walked into the law office. Did you have a good feeling about the people you met? Were you happy with the manner in which your questions were answered? These are all some of the questions you must ask and answer in order to ensure that you select the right injury lawyer for your case.

The experienced California personal injury lawyers of Bisnar Chase have spent more than three decades protecting the rights of injured victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else's negligence or wrongdoing, please contact us at 949-203-3814 for a free and comprehensive consultation.

Have a question that wasn't answered here?