Questions to Ask Your Car Accident Lawyer

Getting into a car accident can ruin your day. You could even be seriously injured, facing a lifetime of medical hurdles. You know that you may need legal representation to help you get maximum compensation, but you don’t know what questions to ask a lawyer to determine which one is right for you. 

Top Questions to Ask a Car Accident Lawyer

When evaluating the right lawyer for your car accident case, it’s important that you ask questions about their experience and their billing. Not all lawyers are created equal and these questions will help you figure out which one is right for you.

What Are Your Fees?

Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis. This means that you are only responsible for paying your lawyer if they win your case. When that happens, they will collect your winnings and take their share out of the compensation before sending you the final amount.

You should ask what percentage the lawyer will charge. Most often, this falls between 30 and 40% of the settlement or jury verdict amount. 

If I don’t Win, Will I Be Responsible for Any Fees?

In addition to the lawyer’s time and experience, there are certain fees they may not cover for you. Make sure you ask about these. They could include:

  • Court filing fees
  • Expert witness costs
  • Document preparation

These will be additional line-item fees your lawyer will charge, in addition to their contingency fee. Make sure you know what these are in advance, as they could substantially cut into the amount of money you ultimately receive. 

How Many Car Accident Cases Have You Successfully Managed?

While past success is no guarantee of a result in your case, knowing that your lawyer has successfully resolved other car accident cases is a step in the right direction. It will show that your lawyer isn’t brand new and has some experience in the area.

How Many Cases Are You Working on Right Now?

Some lawyers take on too many cases at once. Asking this question will give you a good idea if the lawyer has too much on their plate and cannot devote the necessary time to your case. There are certain deadlines your case must meet and if your lawyer is too overwhelmed with cases, they may miss important deadlines which could cause your case to be dismissed.

Will My Case Go to Trial?

While you should ask this question, it’s a difficult one to answer. No one can tell you for sure if your case will go to trial, but if a lawyer answers this question telling you that they can absolutely settle your case, run away. 

Your lawyer will aggressively work to settle your case, and the vast majority of cases settle, but no lawyer can guarantee that your case will settle out of court.

How Much Is My Case Worth?

This is another question you should ask, but which is difficult to answer because every car accident case is different. What you’re looking for in an answer is how the lawyer explains what will determine the value of your case. This may include:

  • The severity of your injuries (even minor injuries cause millions in medical expenses)
  • Your ability to return to work 
  • Who was liable for the accident
  • If you contributed to the accident in any way
  • How much damage your car suffered 

Be wary of any lawyer who gives you a monetary number. There is no way to accurately determine exactly how much your case is worth. 

Who Will Handle My Case?

Many personal injury law firms, especially extremely large ones, put senior partners and the lawyers you see on TV front and center. They may meet with you to discuss your case, but that’s the last time they’ll have anything to do with your car accident claim. 

Ask the firm that is going to handle your case. While every lawyer needs to get experience somewhere, you don’t want a new lawyer or one not experienced in car accident cases handling your case.

Can I Speak with Past Clients?

Get references. You want to know the experience of past clients. Any lawyer who refuses to give you contact information for former clients may be trying to hide something.

When you do speak with an attorney’s past clients, ask them about positives and negatives. You want to get a full picture of what it’s like to be a client of this lawyer. Never rely solely on a lawyer’s website or TV commercials.

How Often Will You Communicate with Me?

Too many personal injury law firms are terrible at keeping clients updated on the progress of their cases. You want to know that your lawyer will keep you posted and you won’t have to constantly bug them about where things stand.

Eltringham Law Group Gets Results

For many years, Eltringham Law Group has helped our injured Florida neighbors get compensation after a car accident. Our goal is to help you secure compensation, so your only concern is your health and wellbeing. You should not be focused on how you pay your medical expenses or other financial losses related to your car accident.

Our team will meet with you and review your case at no cost to you. Because there is no obligation, you have no reason not to contact us and find out how we can help you. We only get paid if you win, so don’t delay and contact us today.

Contact Our Attorneys for Help Today

The lawyer you choose can make a difference in your ability to prove another driver was at-fault for your car accident. Proving fault will help you collect compensation so you don’t have to pay even a penny out of your own pocket for your medical bills and other financial losses. Asking the above questions will help you figure out the right lawyer for you.

Contact us online today to schedule your free consultation with our experienced team.

What Our Clients Say

Our Reviews

Our clients love the personalized attention we give every case. Read what they have to say:

See All Reviews

I usually never leave reviews, good or bad, but for this instance, I most definitely had to. David and Marnie were both AMAZING. They made me feel comfortable and confident in their ability to resolve my case. I was walking in a crosswalk and was hit by a vehicle resulting in having to go to the hospital. I sustained injuries from this that I am still in the midst of dealing with. I contacted the firm and was able to speak with them via zoom immediately. I decided to sign with them on a Monday evening (3 days after my accident) and by Tuesday afternoon (the very next day) my case was settled. And settled for the very max that was able to be obtained. I attribute a lot of this to not only the expertise of the firm, but the relationships that Marnie has built with her experience working as a lawyer within a major insurance provider, which just so happened to be the insurance provider involved in my case. This is incredibly atypical for a case to be settled this quickly, especially with this outcome. It has been two weeks to the day today that my accident has happened and my case has already been resolved. I am blessed and more than happy that I decided to hire this firm. Every case is different, but I can bet that this firm will handle your case with care and the utmost professionalism. I pray I never have to go through a situation like this again, but if I did, I wouldn’t hesitate to call this law firm. Thank you guys very much!!

Shekeara

I highly recommend Eltringham Law Group to anyone seeking legal advice after having a car accident. David Eltringham and his entire staff gave me the personal attention I needed during a very difficult and painful time. David took the extra steps needed to ensure that I received the medical care I needed as well as the financial compensation I deserved. Harold Torres, Paralegal updated me every step of the way. Thank you Eltringham Law Group!

Laura Lauri

I had such a great experience with Eltringham Law Group! I was always kept in the loop and the experience was so personal. I was always in close contact with Teresa who was an absolute pleasure to work with. I would definitely recommend Eltringham Law Group again and again – I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!!!

Alex Peacock

Recent Case Results

$1.025M

RIDE SHARING

November 2021

$1M

COMMERCIAL TRUCKING ACCIDENT

March 2022

$600K

CAR ACCIDENT WITH MINIMAL VEHICLE DAMAGE

March 2022

$125K

SLIP & FALL

March 2022

Proudly Serving The Entire State of Florida & Beyond

NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU.

We’re highly invested in your well-being – you don’t pay for our experience or services unless we get you a settlement. Contact us today to schedule a free review of your case.

Free Consultation

 

Working With Us

Lighthouse™ is a system unique to Eltringham Law Group – Personal Injury & Car Accident Attorneys, it’s what makes us different from other personal injury attorneys. We built this program to hold our own attorneys accountable and make sure our clients are getting the care and consideration they deserve.

1

Client Onboarding
Client Onboarding

The client meets with our Lighthouse Concierge Team to discuss the details of their potential case. A dedicated Lighthouse Team Member is assigned to the case to gather information and maintain constant communication with the client.

2

Investigation Case Analyzer
Investigation Case Analyzer

The assigned Lighthouse Team Member gathers and assess all information related to the case. A majority of the information is processed, paperwork is submitted and any questions/concerns the Lighthouse Team has for the client are clearly communicated and addressed.

3

Client Success Maximizer
Client Success Maximizer

The client meets with their Lighthouse Concierge Team Members to conduct a full review and explanation of the process. Both legal and medical records are reviewed and our team sets realistic and achievable expectations for the client.

4

Phase 1 Medical
Phase 1 Medical

The client is undergoing treatment at this point of the process and the Lighthouse Concierge Team maintains consistent communication to monitor the treatment scheduled. Additional medical referrals and testing may be required at this point if recommended by the current medical provider.

5

Phase 2 Medical
Phase 2 Medical

The client finalizes initial medical treatments that may include referrals to specialists, medical procedures, further testing and/or additional treatment recommendations by their medical providers.

6

Resolution or Litigation
Resolution or Litigation

The Lighthouse Concierge Team is in communication with those involved with and/or responsible for the damages incurred in your case. Two possible outcomes at this stage are 1) an achieved settlement agreement or 2) the inability to achieve a fair settlement that will result in the Eltringham Law Group filing a law suit on your behalf.

7

Post-Settlement Process
Post-Settlement Process

The case has completed and an agreement/resolution has been achieved with maximum in the best interest of the client. The Lighthouse Concierge Team meets with the client to fully explain the results and work diligently to finalize their case.