In the U.S. approximately 450,000 patients are admitted to a hospital due to burn injuries and a burn injury lawyer can tell you that only a fraction of them seek the advice of a lawyer to be compensated for their burns.
If you suffered a burn injury due to negligence and think you have a case, you should get in touch with a burn injury lawyer. A lawyer can help you get through this tough time and get you the compensation you deserve.
To help you find the best lawyer, here are 8 questions you need to ask.
1. Do I Have a Case?
During your initial consultation with a burn injury lawyer, the first thing you need to ask is if you have a case?
Your lawyer should be able to determine if you should move forward with the lawsuit. They can better explain to you the weaknesses and strengths of your case.
They will need to know the severity of your burn injury. Also, was the injury caused due to the negligence of a third party? And did you suffer any damages that can be recovered?
Keep in mind that even if you have a case, in the initial stages it might be difficult to determine what you’ll be entitled to.
2. What Kinds Of Damages Can I Expect?
If you have never filed a personal injury lawsuit, then you have no idea what you’ll be entitled to. However, your lawyer does, so you should be asking them what to expect.
Typically, in personal injury lawsuits, you can expect compensation for your medical bills. This should be a huge relief because hospital stays and doctor visits can have a hefty price tag.
You might also be entitled to loss of wages for the time you had to be out of work due to your injury.
The aftermath of a burn injury always brings pain and suffering, so you can ask your lawyer if you can expect compensation on this matter.
3. How Many Similar Cases Have You Handled?
Remember that not all lawyers specialize in the same fields. If you want to get the best representation, then you need to know if your burn injury lawyer has what it takes.
You shouldn’t be shy when asking about their experience. Ask them how many burn injury cases they’ve handled over the years. Did they always specialize in personal injury or did they change practice areas over the years?
Ask them if they have ever been on the other end of a personal injury lawsuit.
4. What Other Areas Do You Specialize In?
Just like you want to know if they’ve handled cases similar to yours, you should also ask what other areas they practice.
It’s not a bad thing if your lawyer specializes in other areas. It’s good for your lawyer to have a wide set of skills and experience. However, you want to pick the one who will handle your case better.
For example, you wouldn’t go to an orthopedic surgeon about a brain injury, even though he’s still a doctor.
5. How Many Lawyers In The Firm Handle Similar Cases?
The lawyer you meet with will probably won’t be the only one working on your case. In fact, a lot of the cases in a law firm are delegated by the partners to associate attorneys and paralegals.
They always remain under the complete supervision of the lawyer handling your case, but they do handle a large portion of the workload. This is not a bad thing, after all, this is how most successful lawyers get their experience.
However, you should still find out if the other lawyers helping in your case have handled cases similar to yours, or have extensive experience with personal injury suits.
6. What Are Their Contingency Fees?
For the most part, personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means the client will pay the lawyers if the case settlement is successful.
If the lawyer loses the suit, then neither you or the lawyer gets any money. You’re also not required to pay the lawyer for any fees.
However, if you win, the lawyer receives a percentage from the settlement. The contingency fee agreement is usually one third.
Ask your potential burn injury lawyer if he or she is willing to work on a contingency fee basis, and make sure this is clear in the engagement agreement.
When a lawyer agrees to take a case under contingency, it’s usually a great sign. If you don’t get paid, then your lawyer doesn’t get paid.
7. What Is Their Case Strategy?
You might want to know what strategy your burn injury lawyer will use to win your case.
Their strategy has to be well planned based on the severity of the burn injury and all of the evidence provided during the consultation.
When your lawyer discloses their strategy make sure you ask specific questions about it. What are the pros and cons of said strategy? Also, ask if there are other ways to handle it.
Ask your lawyer why they think this is the best strategy, and if they have used it in the past.
8. How Long Will It Take to Settle the Case?
When it comes to personal injuries, usually medical bills really pile up. You might be in a hurry to settle the case so you can take care of all the payments.
A lot of factors that will determine how long your case will take to settle. Depending on the claim you’re making, your lawyer will be able to provide you with a better time frame.
Remember that they cannot provide you with an exact time frame, but maybe you can ask them for the time frames of each step they take.
A lot goes into investigating an resolving a personal injury lawsuit. You will often have to attend proceedings, there’s investigation that needs to take place, and much more.
Take the estimated time frame your lawyer provides you with as an estimate only.
Ready To Hire a Burn Injury Lawyer?
Suffering through a burn injury is stressful enough, getting a lawyer to help you in your case doesn’t have to be.
We hope these 8 tips will help you in your search for a burn injury lawyer.
Are you in the Chicago area and in need of a personal injury lawyer? Contact us for a consultation and to learn more about our practice areas.
