Following a car accident, you may find yourself injured and faced with a mountain of paperwork, never-ending calls from not just your insurer, but also the other person involved in the accident’s insurance company, and all while you’re still trying to recover. The easiest and best way to about things from here on out is to hire a personal injury lawyer in Red Deer.
There are multiple ways to go about this. You could ask a friend, a doctor or colleague for the information of their lawyers, you could also go online and look for good reviews, or you could ask a lawyer you’ve previously worked with on other matters. All of these are viable options, but now you’re still faced with the final decision of who to actually hire. So how do you do it?
#1: Do they have experience with cases similar to yours?
This is important, since you’ll want someone who has successfully handled claims just like yours. If they say no to this one, you should go looking somewhere else right away.
#2: Do they charge a flat or tiered fee?
In Alberta, personal injury lawyers generally work on the basis of “we don’t get paid until you do”, so what you’ll really want to know is whether their fee will stay the same throughout the claim or if it changes over time. A flat fee means it’ll stay the same, while a tiered fee means it’ll increase at certain points through the claim.
The way in which your lawyer will explain all this to you may be confusing and riddled by unknown terms. If it comes to this, be sure to agree to nothing before you’ve had the time to break the code by yourself and understand what they’re actually asking for. Oftentimes, you’ll be met with unfair, ever-increasing fees that are far from reasonable. It may be in your best interest to find yourself a lawyer with a flat fee where you know with certainty what you’re signing up for.
#3: Who pays the disbursements?
Disbursements is the cost of expenses regarding the running of your claim like the cost of the medical reports from your health care professionals. These disbursements can reach up to several hundred-thousand dollars so you’ll definitely want to be sure your personal injury lawyer will cover this as your claim is in the running.
#4: Do they want additional payment?
There are personal injury lawyers that will ask you to pay them fees left and right to the point where you’ll be drowning in debt, so be sure to inquire about additional charges before you agree to anything.
#5: What do they want if the claim is unsuccessful?
Some lawyers will still want to be paid fees regardless of the outcome, so be sure to know what you have to expect in this case. Hiring a personal injury lawyer is always in your best interest, but that doesn’t mean you should blindly trust ever lawyer you come across. Be sure to check off all of these questions before you agree to anything.