What Questions Should I Ask A Lawyer After A Car Accident in Norfolk?

Before hiring a Norfolk car accident lawyer, you should ask them certain questions to best assess whether they can handle your case.

Seeking legal help in the case of a car accident is imperative for securing your position in the claim. Handling such a delicate matter on your own can compromise your claim; the insurance adjuster representing the liable party in Norfolk is not your friend and never will be. You need someone on your side to explain the situation to you, elaborate on the value of your losses, and help you secure fair compensation from liable insurance companies after a car accident in Norfolk.

The accident attorneys at Virginia Injury Law offer all sorts of legal assistance to car accident victims, including but not limited to the initial consultation, case preparation, assessment of damages, financial settlement negotiations, and a jury trial. However, when hiring a Norfolk car accident lawyer with extensive experience to represent you, there are some questions you must ask, so you know where your case is headed and whether the person in front of you is qualified to handle your situation.

Here are those important questions regarding claims involving motor vehicle accidents:

How strong is my position in the case?

Here comes the honesty hour – you need to know what your position is to be able to make better decisions with regards to how your case progresses. Ideally, you’d want no share in the fault for causing the accident and be able to prove, with evidence, that the other party was negligent. But not all car accident victims have concrete evidence to back up their claim, and if that is the case with you, you should ask your personal injury lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia about your chances in your valid claim.

Have you handled such a situation before?

There is no substitute for experience, you need to be sure that your Norfolk car accident lawyer has former experience dealing with such cases and knows how to handle situations when they go bad. You need to know that your lawyer has dealt with victims of auto accidents (bike accident victims, trucking accident victims, and so on) before.

How much can I expect to recover in the form of financial compensation?

Your lawyer can’t give you an exact estimate for your compensation but you do need a general idea of what you can get from your case. The lawyer will sum up all the economic losses and non-economic damages and then give you an estimate for your losses.

This will be the amount you will demand during the settlement negotiations, but how much you get actually will depend on several factors.

What area of my case is lacking, and how will you address it?

It is important to address your case’s weak links in advance, i.e. if there are any issues with your medical records. You don’t want to go into this mess without knowing what part of your compensation claim is lacking. This way, you’ll be able to prepare yourself for the challenges that come with it, or at least know what your lawyer can do to fill in the void.

The feeling of satisfaction and relaxation in this regard is priceless.

Will you carry out investigative efforts on your own as well?

In case your evidence is lacking, you’ll need something to back your claims. Usually, it is best to capture photos and videos of the accident scene to help the insurance adjuster see how the crash happened and how intense were the damages. However, this may not be always possible, and in case you skipped this part, your lawyer can either hire private investigators or an accident recreationist team (for an accident report) to seal the gap in your accident claim.

This way, it won’t simply be your word against theirs regarding the insurance coverage or settlement.

What should I do in the meantime?

You need concrete instructions for your next steps. The insurance adjuster will try and reach out to you and get you to settle for a smaller sum sooner. You can’t be rude, and you can’t fold either, your lawyer will give you clear concise instructions about how to communicate with the at-fault driver or their representatives and what else you need to take care of.

Staying off social media is one such consideration for motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, work-related accident occurrences, and so on.

I was offered a settlement almost immediately, should I accept?

The answer to this would most obviously be no, but you still need to share this with your lawyer so they can assess the position of the other party.

Your lawyer will let you know how it would be unwise to be rash here.

How long will it all take?

Again, there is no exact answer to this question but you do need an estimated timeline. Your lawyer will let you know how much time your case against the negligent driver will take to resolve so you can plan things accordingly. Plus, it will help you avoid anxiety.

I was partly at fault, what should I do?

Never lie to your lawyer.

If you were partly responsible for the auto collision, let them know, but don’t tell anyone else. Your Norfolk car accident lawyer will first hear you out, assess your share in the fault, and then instruct you on how to respond to the questions or concerns of the other party.

Do you work on a contingency fee basis/what will be the payment solution?

Lastly, you need to talk about money. Most probably, you’re holding back from contacting a competent lawyer out of fear that you might not be able to afford their services. If that is indeed the case, you should ask the law firm if they handle cases on a contingency fee arrangement, as we do at Virginia Injury Law.

This way, you won’t have to pay the legal fees until you’ve won your claim.

Reach out to an Experienced Norfolk Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents are traumatic and often result in serious losses, but you can rest assured that we will fight with all our might to get you compensated by the liable party. It is usually not a good idea to solve your injury claim on your own as you run the risk of being underpaid for your losses. This is exactly what the other party wants to do and thus when you receive a call from their insurance adjuster, only share the basic information, and don’t go into any details.

You can call the Virginia Injury Law for legal representation and stay confident knowing that your case will be handled professionally by highly resourceful and experienced personal injury attorneys in Virginia. Our car accident lawyers have extensive legal experience, have dealt with thousands of clients, and have a proven track record of success.

We will first go through your case details and then show you how they can help you claim your rightful compensation.

Book your appointment today and we’ll see to it that justice is served!