Being injured in an accident is a traumatic and possibly life altering experience. This is why the law states that someone who is at fault for causing injury to another is responsible for compensating that person. However, in order to receive that compensation, it will almost always be necessary to select a skilled personal injury attorney in Charleston SC. There are many steps along the way in the legal process and each step presents an opportunity for the lawyer to take actions that could result in the gain or loss of thousands of dollars.
One of the first considerations and biggest worries is the cost of a Personal injury attorney in Charleston SC. A personal injury probably means missed work or possibly even permanent disability plus significant medical expenses. Hiring an attorney may seem cost prohibitive. Most attorneys will take the case on a contingency fee basis. This means they are only paid if their client recovers, usually in the amount of about one third of the recovery. Although they are prohibited from paying certain costs such as court filing fees, they may pay these expenses in anticipation of recovering the money in court. An attorney willing to work on a contingency arrangement means that they are willing to guarantee their work and no money out of pocket if they fail.
Another big question to ask a personal injury attorney is what experience they have handling a case involving the specific type of injury. Legally, all lawyers are generalists and required to be able to competently handle any type of case. However, each specific injury has its own types of nuances. An attorney primarily handling car accidents who takes a medical malpractice case will be more likely to miss a key issue in the case than an attorney who has worked on dozens of medical cases and regularly reads medical journals. This could cost the client thousands.
Bedside manner is another thing to think about. Although someone viewing the dealings with the lawyer as an arms length transaction may think they are willing to put up with an irritating personality, it may be costly. A good lawyer will need to be able to get jurors to like him if the case goes to trial and if the client takes the stand, juries will detect and not like any hostility between the client and the attorney. For more information visit Phipps Law Firm.
