There are more than 8,000 attorneys licensed to practice law in Iowa. With so many options out there, how do you know which attorney is the right one to help you with your Iowa car accident claim? Here are four important questions that will help you with your decision:
Do You Need to Hire an Iowa Car Accident Lawyer?
The first question is one you should ask yourself – do you even need to hire an Iowa car accident lawyer? Not all Iowa car accident claims require an attorney.
For example, if you were involved in a minor crash that didn’t result in any injuries, you probably wouldn’t benefit from hiring a personal injury lawyer.
To make sure our clients truly benefit from our services, our law firm will only represent you after an auto accident if:
- You required $5,000 or more in crash-related medical treatment, OR
- You have been treating for your crash-related injuries for 5 months or longer.
If you haven’t reached either of those benchmarks, you may be better off trying to settle your car accident claim on your own without an attorney.
Once you’ve decided you need a car accident lawyer, you next must decide which one to hire. There are a few questions you should ask when interviewing potential Iowa attorneys for your case. These three questions are best asked before you sign a contract with a car accident lawyer.
What Kinds Of Cases Do You Work On Besides Car Accident Cases?
Ask this question to find out if you are talking to a specialist. Car accident cases and other cases that involve personal injury are a highly specialized area of the law. You want an Iowa lawyer who focuses on personal injury matters. You are not looking for a general practice attorney who will fit your case in along with a shelf full of divorce cases, criminal law cases, or real estate closings.
If an attorney answers this question with a list of non-injury-related legal specialties, you may want to look elsewhere.
How Long Have You Been Representing Injured Iowans in Car Accident Cases?
When dealing with auto insurance companies, experience matters. Being familiar with car accident cases will help your lawyer recognize the usual insurance company tricks.
Experience will also help your Iowa lawyer properly evaluate your car accident case and talk to you about your legal options.
Most importantly, know-how will give your lawyer credibility with the other driver’s insurance company when negotiating a fair settlement.
When Was The Last Time You Went To Trial In An Iowa Car Accident Case?
A car accident lawyer with recent trial experience is less common than you may think. While the majority of auto accident cases in Iowa settle before trial, sometimes the only way for car accident victims to get fair compensation is to go to trial. Unfortunately, not all attorneys will go to court for their clients.
Insurance companies avoid going to trial if they can. They don’t want to risk getting hit with a big verdict. So they keep track of which Iowa car accident attorneys go to trial and which ones don’t. The other driver’s insurance company may offer you a low-ball settlement if it knows your lawyer won’t fight for you all the way to trial.
If you have further questions on how to find the right Iowa car accident lawyer for your case, visit our website, FightingForFairness.com.
