The Advantages of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
There are many advantages to hiring a Rochester, NY personal injury lawyer. Here are some of them:
Cost of hiring a personal injury lawyer
While preparing your personal injury lawsuit may seem costly, there are many benefits of hiring a lawyer. A lawyer is well aware of the legal processes and can avoid wasting valuable time. Lawyers also know where to find useful information and pieces of evidence. A layperson would spend valuable time looking for witnesses and evidence, and that time would be wasted if he or she didn’t have a lawyer. Some attorneys charge hourly rates, while others work on a contingency basis. Generally, personal injury attorneys earn 33{a9fceaa179c66de81d6ded78cc148e55a417461f5e6dc2313e6c9f59f0d2b556} to 40{a9fceaa179c66de81d6ded78cc148e55a417461f5e6dc2313e6c9f59f0d2b556} of the money they collect from a lawsuit.
Some legal fees are standard, such as court filing fees, deposition costs, and investigator costs. These costs are not incurred unless you decide to pursue a lawsuit, but they do add up quickly. It’s a good idea to clarify these costs with your lawyer before incurring them. Setting a dollar amount for legal fees will also keep you from getting surprised later. If you have an injury lawsuit pending, your attorney should be able to explain these expenses to you upfront.
Consultation stage
The initial consultation stage of hiring a personal injury lawyer involves an initial meeting with the attorney and prospective client. During the initial consultation, the attorney should discuss the facts of the case and whether legal action is necessary. If it is, the attorney will help you determine whether to hire him or her or not. Whether or not to hire a lawyer may also depend on the potential financial costs and damages associated with pursuing the lawsuit.
The first consultation stage of hiring a personal injury attorney is crucial. It is a chance for you to get a good feel for the attorney and determine if he or she is a good fit for your case. Make sure to be truthful with your attorney. You should also be confident in their negotiation and presentation skills. Be prepared with questions to assess the level of comfort with your lawyer and his or her experience.
Pre-trial motions
There are several types of pre-trial motions that a personal injury lawyer may be involved in. One type is a dispositive motion, which ends the litigation before it has reached a trial. The other types of motions, such as non-dispositive motions, seek to resolve incidental questions throughout the litigation. Each of these types of motions can significantly impact the outcome of your case.
A motion to exclude evidence is another type of pre-trial motion filed by a personal injury lawyer. Often, experts are needed in these cases to establish the negligence of a party. Experts can testify on various topics that can prove negligence or help a plaintiff receive compensation. However, they must be qualified to do so. If a defense attorney is able to convince the jury that a particular expert is not qualified, they can file a motion to exclude the evidence from the trial.
Comparative fault
If you’re considering hiring a personal injury lawyer in New York, you should be aware of the state’s comparative fault rules. Under New York’s rules, compensation for injuries in a car accident will be based on the percentage of fault each party has. In other words, if you share a part of the fault, your compensation will be less than half of what you would have received had you not been at fault.
If you’re looking for a Long Island personal injury lawyer, you’ve probably already heard about the comparative fault rule. New York has been using this rule since 1975. While some states have a “pure” comparative fault system, other states are considering it. You should hire a lawyer with a strong understanding of the law and the comparative fault rule so that you can be confident that you won’t be penalized for a minor mistake.