5 Things to Look for From Your Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
You decide you want to hire a lawyer because you believe you were not responsible for what happened. Instead, you feel that another driver’s actions caused the wreck.
In this scenario, you might not be sure which lawyer or law firm should represent you in court. You have never had to hire a lawyer before, or, if you have, it was never for anything like this.
There are a few particular things you ought to look for when hiring a motorcycle crash attorney. Let’s talk about some of them right now.
You Want an Attorney Who Has Handled Cases Like This Before
The unfortunate reality is that if you ride a motorcycle, the chances of you being in an accident are disturbingly high. In 2018, 58.18 fatalities occurred for every 100,000 registered American motorcycles. Accidents happen often because motorcycles are inherently dangerous when you compare them to other vehicles.
You can lose control of them easier, and if you wreck a motorcycle, you don’t have the protective shield around you that a car or truck affords you. Juries understand this. Most of them probably realize motorcycles are dangerous, and they might have some degree of bias, even if you can present abundant evidence proving your claim that the other driver caused the wreck.
Because of this, your lawyer will have an uphill battle ahead of them when they agree to represent you. They should understand and acknowledge this. If they have never had to argue this kind of case before, they might not be the best pick to handle your lawsuit.
You can lose control of them easier, and if you wreck a motorcycle, you don’t have the protective shield around you that a car or truck affords you. Juries understand this. Most of them probably realize motorcycles are dangerous, and they might have some degree of bias, even if you can present abundant evidence proving your claim that the other driver caused the wreck.
Because of this, your lawyer will have an uphill battle ahead of them when they agree to represent you. They should understand and acknowledge this. If they have never had to argue this kind of case before, they might not be the best pick to handle your lawsuit.
You Want One with a Lot of Positive Feedback
The internet is a fantastic resource for learning about people in 2021. Even if you have someone who is not very active on social media, they will still have at least somewhat of an online footprint in almost all situations.
Someone like a lawyer, who doubtless leads a very public life, should have lots of information out there about them. There should be reviews of all kinds from former clients.
If you’re seeing positive reviews across the board for the lawyer or firm you are thinking about hiring, that should persuade you that you’re making the right pick. If you see feedback that this lawyer lost many cases similar to yours, or they’re incompetent or deficient for some other reason, you’ll want to go back to the drawing board and keep looking till you find someone better.
Someone like a lawyer, who doubtless leads a very public life, should have lots of information out there about them. There should be reviews of all kinds from former clients.
If you’re seeing positive reviews across the board for the lawyer or firm you are thinking about hiring, that should persuade you that you’re making the right pick. If you see feedback that this lawyer lost many cases similar to yours, or they’re incompetent or deficient for some other reason, you’ll want to go back to the drawing board and keep looking till you find someone better.
You Want One with a Sympathetic Demeanor
You also don’t need to be best buddies with your lawyer. You know each other professionally, and after the trial concludes, you won’t be going over to their house for dinner.
That being said, you want to get along with them well since you’ll have to spend time with them while you’re working on your case. Your lawyer should sympathize with what you’re going through, or at least they should act like they do.
If they dismiss the pain and anxiety you’re no doubt experiencing after the crash, that’s not someone you want in your corner. Your lawyer does not need to fawn all over you, but they should at least be solicitous and ask you how you’re doing when they see you.
They should express that they’re very clearly on your side, and they will give you the best advice possible to try and help you achieve your goal. They should be willing to tell you the truth about your case at all times, even if what they’re saying to you is not necessarily what you want to hear.
That being said, you want to get along with them well since you’ll have to spend time with them while you’re working on your case. Your lawyer should sympathize with what you’re going through, or at least they should act like they do.
If they dismiss the pain and anxiety you’re no doubt experiencing after the crash, that’s not someone you want in your corner. Your lawyer does not need to fawn all over you, but they should at least be solicitous and ask you how you’re doing when they see you.
They should express that they’re very clearly on your side, and they will give you the best advice possible to try and help you achieve your goal. They should be willing to tell you the truth about your case at all times, even if what they’re saying to you is not necessarily what you want to hear.
They Should Offer a Payment Plan that Works for You
If you’re the plaintiff in a case like the one we described, where you’re trying to get money because you believe someone else harmed you, that’s what the legal system calls a personal injury lawsuit. With these types of lawsuits, you can often hire a lawyer on a contingency payment system.
That means you pay them only if and when they win your case for you. If they fail to do so, you don’t have to pay them anything.
That might be the only payment plan that works for you in this instance. If they demand upfront payment and then bill by the hour, there is no guarantee they will win the case. You might not only lose, but you’ll no longer have the money you had to pay your lawyer.
Very few plaintiffs are willing to do that because of the obvious risks involved. When you approach a lawyer to see if they will take your case, you need to discuss how you will pay them for that reason.
That means you pay them only if and when they win your case for you. If they fail to do so, you don’t have to pay them anything.
That might be the only payment plan that works for you in this instance. If they demand upfront payment and then bill by the hour, there is no guarantee they will win the case. You might not only lose, but you’ll no longer have the money you had to pay your lawyer.
Very few plaintiffs are willing to do that because of the obvious risks involved. When you approach a lawyer to see if they will take your case, you need to discuss how you will pay them for that reason.
They Need to be Local
You also need to find a motorcycle accident attorney who is close enough to you so you can physically see them when you need to do so. If they are more than an hour’s drive away, you don’t want to have to travel that far of a distance to their office to see them.
It’s true that you can have teleconferences these days with lawyers based anywhere in the country, but a time might come when the lawyer needs to appear in court and fight for you. They’re not going to want to commute from several states away to do that.
Accordingly, you have to find a lawyer who meets your needs and is pretty close to you. You probably don’t want to drive more than half an hour or so to reach their office.
If you can track down an attorney that matches all of these qualifications, you might feel confident that you can win your motorcycle-related accident lawsuit. If someone else caused what happened, there is no reason why you should not be able to get financial compensation from them.
It’s true that you can have teleconferences these days with lawyers based anywhere in the country, but a time might come when the lawyer needs to appear in court and fight for you. They’re not going to want to commute from several states away to do that.
Accordingly, you have to find a lawyer who meets your needs and is pretty close to you. You probably don’t want to drive more than half an hour or so to reach their office.
If you can track down an attorney that matches all of these qualifications, you might feel confident that you can win your motorcycle-related accident lawsuit. If someone else caused what happened, there is no reason why you should not be able to get financial compensation from them.
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Posted - 07/12/2021
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