Questions to ask a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

If you or someone you know has suffered a spinal cord injury due to another person’s negligent actions, don’t rush into accepting any settlement awarded by the insurer. The injuries take longer to heal and require lifelong medical care, and the compensation you receive should reflect that.

Quick Fact

Approximately 17,730 spinal cord injuries occur every year. These injuries often result in permanent loss of sensation, strength, and function below the site of the injury.

Before you take any action pertaining to the claim, you need to talk to qualified spinal cord injury lawyers to guide you on what to do so that you avoid common mistakes.

The first meeting with the lawyers is crucial because it determines the direction the case takes. You get answers to all your questions, some that include:

1.   Why Should I Work with You?

The spinal cord injury lawyer can accurately assess how the injury will affect your life now and in the future. He takes all considerations of the case to come up with the best approach to handle the claim so that you get maximum compensation.

This question also gives the lawyer a chance to talk about his experience, past cases, qualifications, and what more he brings to the table.

2.   What is Your Experience in Handling spinal Injury Claims?

Spinal cord injury cases are complicated and expensive. Medical treatment costs, rehabilitation, emotional effects, and future costs associated with the injury can complicate the case.

You need Chicago spinal cord injury lawyers with the time and experience to handle the case the right way. They should fight for your rights to get compensated so that they can save you energy while ensuring that you receive the best payout possible, depending on the severity of the injuries.

Consider the number of cases the lawyers have handled and their success rate.

3.   What Do You Think is the Most Likely Outcome of My Claim?

A good lawyer takes time to scrutinize the evidence you have and the circumstances surrounding your injury and comes up with a verdict. He tells you the truth regarding the claim you are filing. If the case is worth it, he will let you know and he will also tell you straight up if it isn’t viable.

It takes skills and tact to come up with a verdict. Most clients go to the lawyer with unrealistic expectations that cannot be met. If you were partly responsible for the accident that led to the injury, the lawyer will also tell you outright how much you should expect as compensation.

4.   What Should I Do To Make the Case a Success?

Right from the beginning, the lawyer guides you on what documents to collect, the evidence to gather, the mistakes to avoid, and what to do to ensure you have a higher possibility of winning the case. Make sure you follow this to the latter.

5.   Is My Case Likely to Go To Court?

You need to know if your case will likely get settled out of court or go to trial. More than 90 percent of cases usually settle out of court. However, circumstances do differ from one case to the next, and you might be among the 5 percent whose case ends up in court.

If your case will end up in court, ask your lawyer if he has experience handling trials so that you know you are covered on all fronts.

6.   How Much Will It Cost Me? What is the Fee Structure?

Normally, a lawyer takes between 30 and 40 percent of the settlement amount. However, you need him to be clear on this. The tradition is for the lawyer to handle all the initial costs and then take a percentage of the final payout. Make sure you have an agreement to this effect.

7.   What Kinds of Experts Will We Work With?

Spinal cord injuries involve various experts ranging from neurosurgeons to police officers. The lawyer needs to assure you that he will dip into his network to come up with expert witnesses to improve the credibility of your claim.

In Closing

The way the lawyer answers these questions should let you know if you can proceed with him or not. If you leave the meeting with the impression that you have the right person for the job, you can work with him. Call us today to schedule a meeting with expert Chicago spinal cord injury lawyers.