Questions To Ask Before Hiring An Auto Accident Lawyer
Have you been involved in a car accident? Do you have bills that need to be paid, but you've been off work since the accident? If the accident wasn't your fault, you're probably considering suing the driver of the other vehicle. To do this, you may even already be considering hiring an attorney. But before you simply pick a name at random, here are some questions to ask to make sure the lawyer is right for you:
How much time is there to file a lawsuit? The statute of limitations for filing an accident lawsuit starts running out as soon as the accident happens. If you've already been recovering for a few months, your time is even shorter. Each state has their own statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit. A good auto accident lawyer will be able to tell you exactly how much time you have left. If time is extremely short, he or she can work on putting together a case swiftly so that you are able to file.
How long will a lawsuit like this take? While your auto accident lawyer won't be able to give you an exact figure, he or she should be able to give you a good estimate. If your case is very strong, you may soon receive a settlement offer from the other driver's insurance company. If the case goes to court, your attorney can let you know how long this may take. This can vary depending on how busy the court is and how much evidence is in your favor. Your attorney can draw from past experiences working similar cases to make a guess as to approximately how long the process will take.
What can be done about these bills that are a result of the accident? If you've been out of work, you may have hospital bills, utility bills, and housing bills that are piling up. Sometimes, a auto accident lawyer is able to negotiate with your creditors to wait until the lawsuit is finished to collect payment. He or she may be able to contact your creditors on your behalf and explain that you are currently involved in a lawsuit. Your creditors will also be told that you have been unable to work and that they can expect payment once the lawsuit has finished. While not all of your creditors will be willing to wait for payment, you may find that many of them will be willing to wait, so long as they know that you do intend to pay them.
To read more on this topic, visit a local firm's website.
