You were injured in a car accident in Cedar Rapids and need legal representation. If your losses are minor, you don’t have much to worry about and can probably manage on your own. However, no matter the circumstances, you cannot expect the other party or their insurance company to understand your situation. Insurance companies are known for using tactics to deny, delay, and undermine claims as these are for-profit businesses looking for premiums and not settlements. If you are hiring a personal injury lawyer in Cedar Rapids for the first time, here are some facts you need to know.
- You don’t have to pay for the consultation. Like anyone involved in an on-road mishap, you may have a bunch of questions on your mind. What is your claim worth? Is your claim valid? Who is liable for your losses? How quickly can you expect to get a settlement? These are questions that an attorney can answer for you, and most lawyers don’t charge a fee for that.
- You have to do your homework. Only select injury lawyers have experience handling auto accident claims, and it makes sense to do some initial homework to know the lawyer’s profile. Ask about their highest settlements, top cases, and landmark lawsuits and why they are the best fit for your case.
- You need to know about the injury lawyer’s trial experience. In the best circumstances, you wouldn’t expect the auto accident case to end up in court. However, that may happen. When you are going to trial, you have to be sure that the injury lawyer is capable of arguing the case before the judge.
- You don’t have to pay an upfront fee. Typically, lawyers don’t charge an upfront fee for injury lawsuits, including those involving auto accidents. You will have to share a fixed percentage of your settlement only when you recover money from the insurance company or the other party. In other words, the lawyer’s fee should be a reason to fight the legal battle alone.
- You have to check reviews. Any injury lawyer can claim to be the best in their field, and not all promises are true. As a part of your research, ensure that you check the overall market reputation of the lawyer, for which independent reviews and testimonials can be pretty handy. Also, you can ask the law firm for a few references.
Get an injury lawyer early because you have two years in Iowa to file a car accident lawsuit.