Truck accidents happen all the time, on the highway and in cities like Glendale. Such accidents can be devastating to the people involved, from those riding in passenger vehicles to commercial truck drivers to pedestrians who are hit by a truck and suffer serious injuries, like brain damage or amputation of limbs. If you’ve been involved in an accident with a large vehicle, you need to seek legal counsel right away in order to protect your rights under the law. The following guide will help you choose the best Glendale truck accident lawyer, based on your needs and budget.
What type of case do you have?
Knowing which type of accident you are dealing with is critical, as it may affect your approach. Are you dealing with a personal injury or property damage case? If it’s property damage, can you file under uninsured motorist coverage on your car insurance policy? Each one of these scenarios requires a different level of expertise and resources. A simple Google search for the best truck accident lawyers in Glendale probably won’t give you what you need. Instead, it would be best to take some time doing research and finding legal professionals who have experience handling truck accidents.
What kind of injury was caused?
It’s important that you have a basic understanding of injury law. You may have heard of a slip and fall accident, but there are three main types of injuries: no injuries (just property damage), minor injuries, and serious or catastrophic injuries. This is where things get complicated. For example, if you’re in a car accident with more than $3,000 in damages—whether or not anyone was injured—it’s considered a personal injury case.
Why Should You Seek Compensation?
It’s important that you get compensated for your injuries, and you need a lawyer who understands how compensation works. Compensation is based on pain and suffering, but it can be hard to put a value on that; as such, most truck accident cases settle outside of court. While your initial instinct might be to try and work things out yourself, insurance companies are trained negotiators. Unless you have experienced lawyers working for you, they will likely wear you down by dragging out negotiations and offering low settlements—and they may end up paying less than what your claim is worth.
How Much Will Compensation Cost Me?
How much you can expect to pay in legal fees depends on a few factors. Since personal injury cases are considered contingent fees, law firms don’t charge clients for their services unless there is a settlement or jury award. The amount awarded for damages will vary depending on how serious your injuries are, but generally speaking, you can expect a personal injury case to cost between $1,000 and $5,000. In addition to legal fees, other costs associated with truck accidents include lost wages (i.e., income while recovering), medical expenses (if you needed treatment after an accident), and extra living expenses (like if your car was totaled). These items will have specific dollar amounts attached as well.
Legal Process and Timeline
It might sound obvious, but you can save a lot of time by finding out which lawyers actually offer free advice (as opposed to just free consultations). This is especially important if you need legal help fast, as in many cases—particularly personal injury cases—the sooner you get in touch with a lawyer, the better. If they don’t give advice without charging a fee first, make sure they have plenty of payment options available that won’t break your bank account. There are lots of ways for attorneys to get paid: Some work on contingency, meaning they get paid only if their client does; others accept retainers or advance payments for service, and some take a combination of both approaches.
Is It Possible To Settle Out Of Court?
It is true that some cases can be settled out of court, but not all. If you want to settle your case out of court, then a consultation with a good Glendale accident lawyer is a must. At first, you might think that it’s better for your case if you don’t consult one, but trust me: consulting with a good truck accident lawyer will help get you more money in settlement than without his guidance. The mistake people make when they want to get their injury claims settled as quickly as possible is thinking that it’s better not to consult with an experienced lawyer. This sort of thinking couldn’t be further from reality!
Which Lawyers Offer Free Advice?
Always make sure that you’re truck accident lawyer in Glendale with a licensed attorney. Most states won’t allow just anyone to hang out a shingle. If you can, interview prospective lawyers before hiring them and don’t be afraid to shop around for a second opinion if you feel uncomfortable with your first lawyer’s suggestions or advice. Make sure you understand each lawyer’s contingency fee arrangement. A contingency fee means that if they win your case, they get paid from your recovery (the money awarded by a court). The common arrangement is for them to take one third of any winnings as their fee but it could also be 25% or 40%. Many accident victims fail because they can’t afford good legal help so make sure that any arrangement works for both sides.
