If you’ve been injured in an accident or another incident, through no fault of your own, you may be looking for a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia. A personal injury lawyer can help you to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other injuries that you would not have had if you weren’t involved in the incident where you became injured.
Personal injury attorneys provide legal advice for truck accidents, auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability, and other injury claims. They will represent you in negotiations with seasoned insurance company lawyers.
When searching for a personal injury lawyer, ask these questions to determine if this is the right personal injury lawyer for your case.
- How long have you been a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia?
- What aspects of my case will you be handling?
- What type of settlement range should I expect for my case?
- Do you have reviews or testimonials from past clients?
- What is your fee structure? What fees would I be responsible for if we lose?
- Experience with going to trial
- How long do you expect my case to take?
1. How Long Have You Been A Personal Injury Lawyer In Philadelphia?
A Philadelphia personal injury attorney who has experience practicing law will be able to use past experiences with cases and apply it to yours. You can often find this information online, but it is something you will want to know about a lawyer you will be working with. They should also be able to give you some information related to their success rate with cases.
2. What Aspects Of My Case Will You Be Handling?
In larger law firms, it is not uncommon for junior lawyers or paralegals to handle most aspects of your personal injury claim. This can work well, but if you are looking for a lawyer to be hands-on with your case, it is important to ask this question upfront.
3. What Type Of Settlement Range Should I Expect For My Case?
Asking this question will provide you with a range the personal injury attorney thinks will be possible given the facts currently understood for the case. This is not a guarantee but provides you with an understanding of what you can expect to receive in compensation for your case. Each case has unique aspects making it difficult to provide an exact number, but an experienced attorney will be able to give you a range you can expect.
4. Do You Have Reviews Or Testimonials From Past Clients?
Finding out about the experience past clients have had with your lawyer provides you with a good idea of what you can expect working with that lawyer. This is another area where you can often find information online. If you aren’t able to find client reviews easily, you can ask to speak to previous clients the attorney has worked with.
5. What Is Your Fee Structure? What Fees Would I Be Responsible For If We Lose?
Most personal injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, including Jeffrey H. Penneys. This means that you don’t pay for any legal costs unless you recover financial compensation for damages.
If the case is lost, find out what your financial obligations will be to cover legal expenses such as filing fees, clerical fees, and medical record retrievals. Some lawyers may charge for these expenses whether you win or lose the case. Understand from the start what fees you will be responsible for. Ask the attorney for clarification or if you have any questions about their fee policy.
6. Experience With Going To Trial
While the majority of cases settle through negotiations, a small percentage will proceed to a trial. Estimates are that about 4-5% of personal injury cases in the United States go to trial. Because most cases settle pre-trial, often lawyers don’t have experience in a courtroom. If your case does go to trial, you want to make sure that your lawyer has experience arguing a case in a courtroom.
7. How Long Do You Expect My Case To Take?
Personal injury lawsuits can take quite a while, likely longer than you want it to. Your lawyer should give you a pretty good indication of how long the process will take.
This is an opportunity for you to share what you are looking for as well. If you want a quicker resolution, you can expect to settle for less money. If you want the maximum compensation, you can expect negotiations to take longer. Or perhaps you don’t want your case to go to trial and can let your lawyer know that in advance.
Working With Jeffrey Harlan Penneys
The law offices of Jeffrey H. Penneys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania provides a free consultation. Asking these questions will provide you with the information you need to hire a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia. Jeffrey H. Penneys is happy to speak with you 24/7 and to answer these and any other questions you may have about your personal injury case. Contact him today at 215-771-0430 so that he can get clients the compensation they deserve.
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