You’ve been in a semi-truck accident. You’ve walked away from the scene with losses others may struggle to imagine, whether those be the loss of property, severe injuries, or even the loss of a loved one.
You know what rights you have in the wake of these losses – you can pursue a civil claim that can restore your finances. Who, though, do you want on your side through that journey?
The process of finding a semi-truck accident lawyer who can represent your best interests isn’t always straightforward. That said, you can prioritize certain factors when meeting with the attorneys in Indiana. Experience, client priorities, and accessibility all distinguish a good lawyer from a great one, but how can you identify those features once you start the interview process?
How to Find the Right Attorney for Your Semi-Truck Accident Case
Finding the right semi-truck accident lawyer after an accident allows you to do more than comfortably navigate your recovery. The right attorney can make the difference between a straightforward settlement negotiation and a prolonged semi-truck accident trial. What factors do you need to take into account, though, when you first start meeting with attorneys?
The stand-out qualities you want in a truck accident lawyer can include:
Experience
Experience isn’t the end-all, be-all of a lawyer’s defining qualities, but understanding how Indiana’s civil courts work certainly won’t hurt your case. If you’re looking for an attorney to take on a trucking agency or independent truck driver, you need to work with someone who can effectively deliver your case to a judge.
When in doubt, take a look at the case results available on a law firm’s website. If a lawyer’s clients speak highly of that lawyer’s courtroom experience, you’ll know that you can readily take your truck accident lawsuit to civil court. You can alternatively look for an attorney who regularly wins settlements for their clients by negotiating on a client’s behalf.
Client-Forward
The attorney you work with after a semi-truck accident needs to have more than experience on their side. You need an attorney who understands the tragedy you endured. Even if you didn’t lose a loved one to a truck accident, you’re still contending with post-accident stress, not to mention the dramatic changes the accident introduced into your life.
With that in mind, your attorney needs to be compassionate. They should give you the space you need to recover while moving your case forward. You should also look for an attorney who can accommodate your schedule. You can’t forgo essential medical treatments or physical therapy without compromising your future health, after all, as your attorney should understand.
With that in mind, make sure you partner with an attorney who compassionately addresses your losses during your first case consultation. While your attorney shouldn’t forgo the logistics of your case in favor of their sympathy, they should marry that sympathy with a drive to do right by you and any other parties injured in your accident.
Informative and Accessible
It takes years to understand the logistics of civil law. That’s why your attorney has a degree – without it, they wouldn’t be able to break down Indiana’s trucking laws, not to mention your right to a legal response. That said, no attorney should try to overwhelm you with legalese when you first meet.
A good attorney should try to break down your case’s most complicated elements. That breakdown shouldn’t make you feel less intelligent than you are, either. Rather, you should trust that your attorney can help you understand complicated legal concepts while also understanding that, as someone new to the field, you have your own areas of expertise.
Financially Compassionate
Injured parties can forgo legal help for a lot of reasons after a dangerous truck accident. One of the most common reasons that many injured parties do this is because they’re concerned about the legal fees they may face if they ask for a lawyer’s help.
A good lawyer recognizes that a client’s financial concerns may keep them from the action they deserve and subsequently works to navigate around those concerns. If you want to start looking for an attorney who will prioritize your financial wellness, you should meet with attorneys who work on contingency.
Truck accident lawyers who operate on contingency understand that you already have a mountain of bills to deal with. That’s why contingency-based firms will not charge you for the legal services you benefit from. Instead, contingency-based law firms only get paid for services rendered if they win your case.
You have the right to discuss a law firm’s payment plan, including its contingency fee agreements, during an initial case consultation. If a law firm tries to dodge your questions, you might want to look for alternative representation.
Schedule Case Consultations to Meet the Attorneys Who Can Take Your Case
While a lawyer’s or law firm’s website can tell you a lot about their quality, there’s no better way to get to know an attorney than to meet them in person. Fortunately, most Indiana personal injury law firms allow you to meet with their attorneys free of charge. You can schedule case consultations with the attorneys in your area to learn more about their experience.
It’s in your best interest to make a list of questions you want to ask each of the attorneys you meet with ahead of time. After you’ve met with each of your possible representatives, you can compare their answers to your questions and determine which suits you best. Examples of the questions you can ask include:
- What do you charge your personal injury clients?
- How long do you expect my case to take based on my circumstances?
- Do you recommend pursuing settlement negotiations or going to trial based on my circumstances?
- What does your experience in court look like?
- What would your previous clients say about your ability as a negotiator?
You can brainstorm additional questions with your family members ahead of time.
Vaughan & Vaughan Has Served Indiana Residents for Decades
You need to work with an attorney who understands the intricacies of civil law if you want to take legal action against a semi-truck accident. Moreover, you should work with an expert who makes you comfortable as you navigate the process of filing a complaint and arguing for your right to compensation before a judge.
Vaughan & Vaughan have served Indiana residents in need of representation for over a century, and our firm has recovered millions for accident victims. Our team’s experience makes it easy for clients with little to no legal knowledge to argue for semi-truck accident damages. Are you ready to learn more? Contact us through our website or by calling our office, and see if we’re the right law firm to defend your best interests.
