Personal injury lawyers represent people who have been involved in accidents caused by somebody else. These lawyers can be of assistance in circumstances where somebody trips over in a shop, crashes their car, or injures themself due to a defective product. Injury lawyers look into their clients’ cases with their relatives and the medical professionals who treat them. In fact, they will speak to anyone who can verify that the injuries received will impact their clients significantly – maybe over a prolonged period of time. If you are in the area, we recommend this personal injury lawyer Maine firm.
The precise way that personal injury cases work varies from one country to another, and from one state to another. Typically though, these cases are based on the idea that the winner’s legal fees are paid for by the loser. If plaintiffs pay the legal fees themselves, prior to the verdict, they are usually advised against proceeding with the case – unless they are ready to pursue it right to the end of the process.
Some personal injury lawyers specialize in specific types of injuries, so it is vital to ask what cases a lawyer normally deals with. The majority of these lawyers charge what are called contingency fees, which means that they get some of the awarded compensation if they are successful – but receive nothing and if they are unsuccessful. Different lawyers have different policies with regards to this though, so you should talk about fees before deciding to enlist their services. In addition, you should inquire about a lawyer’s qualifications, and the track record of cases they have handled – particularly those that are similar to the circumstances you are faced with.
Suffice to say, this often means that lawyers decline to take on cases, unless there is a good likelihood of winning. Nonetheless, certain law practices require plaintiffs to pay fees in advance, to cover the cost of insurance – so that their lawyers get paid even if they lose a case. Sometimes, the defendants who lose have to repay the premium fees. It has been argued that this policy is open to corruption, because it incentivizes lawyers to handle cases with little chance of success. If they are insured, lawyers are sure to make money regardless of the outcome, whereas – under the traditional ‘no win, no fee’ system – this is not the case and they have to work hard to go home with a paycheck.
Also, it is advisable to inquire about how many case trials lawyers have had, and whether they abide by the wishes of clients, who are satisfied with proposed settlements and prefer not to have a trial – even when there’s a good chance of winning a larger compensation payout. It is wise to speak to a number of lawyers, because lots of them charge no fees for initial meetings with clients. The right personal injury lawyer for you will depend on your particular circumstances, so you should do some shopping around or ask for a recommendation from another legal professional before hiring one.
