Hundreds of car accident cases and crashes are reported in Nevada every year. Such accidents can have devastating impacts on the lives of those involved. If you were injured in a car accident and have decided to consult an attorney, one of the first steps is to ask for a personal meeting. Here are some of the questions worth asking a Las Vegas accident attorney.
- How long have you been working as a personal injury lawyer? What are some of your top cases and settlements?
Make sure that you talk to an attorney in depth about their experience. An experienced personal injury lawyer will never shy away from discussing the top settlements they have won for their clients, or some of their landmark cases. The scope of personal injury law is huge, and therefore, do check if an attorney has the experience in handling car accident matters.
- What is my claim worth?
This is one of the basic questions that every client should ask an attorney. Your lawyer can only answer the question when they know all the relevant details in depth. For instance, how severely were you injured? Are you likely to lose your capacity to earn in the future? Did you lose a family member in the crash? The settlement in car accident claims depends on many factors, but ask your lawyer, so that you have realistic expectations.
- How much do you charge per hour? Would you work on a contingency basis?
Personal injury lawyers often work on a contingency basis. This means that they get a fee (usually a percentage of the settlement) if they win. However, the approach may not work for a lot of cases. That’s one of the key reasons to ask your lawyer in advance. Also, if you are paying a lawyer on an hourly rate, make sure that they are the one fighting your case and not an associate.
Knowing the laws
When it comes to negligence and settlements, Nevada follows the modified comparative negligence rule. This means that a party injured in the accident may ask for compensation, even if they had part role in causing the accident. However, the person’s share of settlement will reduce by the share of blame. Also, you cannot expect any compensation if you are more than 50% responsible for the accident.
Do not delay in calling an accident attorney. Talk to the best one possible and get them involved as early as possible.