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If you’re thinking about suing another driver after a car crash, you should realize what goes into that. You can’t just snap your fingers and walk away with money. The other driver might contest your efforts. If you’re suing their insurance company instead, it’s even more likely they’ll want to do battle in court.
You can probably find a car wreck lawyer with no trouble, but how do you know you should hire them over some of the other choices? In this article, we’ll talk about crucial considerations that should probably go into this potentially life-changing decision.
Do You Really Feel Like You Have to Sue?
First, you need to take some time to think about whether you really have to sue the other driver or their insurance company. Let’s look at a scenario for a moment. Say that another driver hit your car, and you’re in a no-fault state. That means your insurance should cover the damages after a crash and not the other driver’s insurance.
The crash injured you and damaged your car as well. In your state, you needed to carry a minimum insurance policy amount of $50K. In states where you must carry such a policy, you might hear the term PIP insurance used to describe it.
You need surgery after the accident. You also need to go through many painful physical therapy sessions to get back on your feet. You need money to repair the damage to your car as well.
All of that comes to well over $50K. In that scenario, then you will probably exhaust the money coming from your insurance company’s PIP policy.
That’s when you might feel like you have to sue the other driver, assuming you’re sure they caused the crash. You need to choose a lawyer who understands the situation in which you find yourself.
In that scenario, maybe you don’t have very much money in savings, or perhaps you have none at all. That means you desperately need to win this lawsuit because you need the cash from that to cover your medical bills and other expenses that are causing you to go into debt.
If the lawyer you talk to seems like they understand your plight, then you might move forward and hire them. If they seem very blasé about the whole business, then you might need to go with someone else who understands the urgency of your predicament.
Does This Lawyer Have Enough Time for You?
You also need to figure out whether this lawyer has enough time to dedicate to your case. You might find an attorney who seems perfect. They have plenty of experience with car crash lawsuits, and they always win their cases.
What if they have several other active lawsuits they’re working on at the moment, though? What if you’re just one of a dozen clients they’re seeing in the course of an average weekday?
If you do not feel like this lawyer can give you enough of their attention, then you will likely need to find someone else. You want an attorney who can dedicate themselves to your cause with bulldog-like tenacity and a single-minded focus.
Can You Reach Them Easily?
You also need to look at how long it will take you to get to your lawyer’s office. If it takes you an hour to get there each time and another hour to get back, then maybe you will feel that is too inconvenient.
It is possible that you might have a lawyer who’s located a little further away if you don’t mind talking to them on the phone a lot or doing Zoom calls with them. However, many times, you will prefer to meet with them in person when you’re discussing your case and its current status. If that’s not possible, or it’s not easy, then you might need to find someone with offices closer to you.
Are You Aligned When It Comes to Your Endgame?
You also need to talk to your lawyer before you officially hire them to make sure that they understand your needs. Obviously, they will know that you want to win you case by forcing a settlement offer or trying to get a jury’s verdict in your favor. However, you may also want to tell them that you’re looking for a specific dollar amount from the defendant.
Think back to the scenario we described a moment ago, where you exhausted all the money in your PIP policy. Maybe you’re in debt an additional $20K beyond that amount. You had to pay that money for out-of-network specialist visits, your surgery, or additional medical-related expenses.
If so, then you probably won’t willingly accept less than that amount. That doesn’t just mean you will take $20K if the defendant offers it to you, though. You also need to factor in how much of that you will give to your lawyer via contingency.
If your attorney understands not just that you’re trying to win money but that you’re looking for a specific dollar amount, and they’re still willing to help you, then you can probably hire them with more confidence.
Can They Support You if You’re Feeling Overwhelmed?
You also need to factor in one additional thing as you’re trying to decide whether you should hire this particular lawyer or not. You need to think about the emotional and physical toll the lawsuit will take on you.
When you sue someone, that might involve disrupting your normal routine for days or weeks on end. The trial might even drag out for months in some cases. That can easily start feeling overwhelming.
You need to try to assess whether your lawyer can support you during that difficult time. Your family and friends can doubtless help you as well, but your lawyer must also sometimes act as your cheerleader. If you feel based on what you see from them that they can willingly do that, then you may have found your attorney.
