No one wants to be in a motor vehicle accident but every year many people are in them. Distracted drivers killed 3,154 people and injured another 424,000 in 2013. It has been estimated that every year, there are about 5.4 million car crashed in which no one is killed in the United States. If someone you love has been killed in a motor vehicle accident, you may want to hire an auto accident attorney. The wrongful death statutes vary from state to state and you need to have someone on your side who can help you navigate the process. When you are looking to find an attorney, you may not know where to go first. Here are some tips to help you make sure you get the right lawyer for your situation.
- Learn about wrongful death statutes. When a person is killed and they leave behind family members who depended upon that person for emotional or financial support. There are a number of causes of death that fall under wrongful death statutes. A negligent or malicious act that results in a death can give you a good cause for a lawsuit.
- Talk to the people in your life whom you trust. Given the litigious nature of the American society, the chances are very good that you know at least one person who has spoken with a personal injury lawyer. Ask around to find who may have experience dealing with this kind of lawyer. The best way to find a decent service or item is to get recommendations from someone you trust. You may not ultimately go with the people who are recommended but it can be a good place to start your search.
- Talk to lawyers you know. The lawyer who help you get a divorce will not be able to help you weed through the wrongful death statutes but they may be able to get you in touch with a good lawyer for your case. In many areas, the legal community is a tight one and you may be able to get a bead on who the good lawyers are who work on this kind of law.
- Make sure you get the right kind of lawyer. Like medical professionals, lawyers specialize. There are truck accident lawyers, criminal defense lawyers and those who specialize in personal injury cases and wrongful death lawsuits. When you are talking to different attorneys, you need to make sure you get someone with the right kind of experience. Here are some questions you should ask:
- Ask them how long have you practiced law? While lawyers who are just getting started may be intelligent and hard working, you should look for a lawyer who has a decent amount of experience working on real cases.
- Get someone who really understands the wrongful death statutes in the state where they practice. Ask about what made them go into this kind of law. You want an attorney who is passionate about they do. You do not want a lawyer (or plumber or doctor) who is “phoning it in.”
- Ask what percentage of their practice is devoted to this. It is ok to go to a lawyer who takes a variety of cases but if they do one case a year that deals withandnbsp;wrongful death statutes, that is not enough to give your case the attention (and you) need and deserve.
- Ask about their billing process. Every law firm handles their billing very differently. You need to know how much you will be charged and what that will cover. Many lawyers who deal with wrongful death statutes do not charge their clients a fee unless they win but there may be expenses you will be expected to cover. Make sure you understand what you will be responsible for paying. You should know how much your legal representation is going to cost you up front so you hire a lawyer that you can afford.
People often talk about dreaming of winning a large lawsuit but, in reality, no one really wants to go through that. If you do need to hire a wrongful death attorney, getting the right one for your case can make all the difference.
