Do I Have A Case?
Not surprisingly, a large percentage of injured people who call our offices want to know whether or not they “have a case.” Whether they’ve been injured in a car accident, had a work accident, or want to apply for disability benefits, one of their most pressing concerns is not to waste anyone’s time, including their own. They want to know whether they should spend time and effort pursuing a claim. They are often not as concerned about how the whole lawyer representation process works. What they really want to know is: Do I have a case? While we can’t possibly cover the entire case evaluation process in a short article, here are a few things our team looks for when evaluating a case:
Auto Accidents
If you’ve been in an auto accident, our team will look for the following to assess the claim:
- Were you injured? Sometimes people have been involved in auto accidents but really just want help with recovering property damage. We do help our injured clients get their property damage claims resolved, but frequently we aren’t able to take on a case where the victim isn’t injured. If you have any doubt about who was at fault, give us a call. We’d be happy to help you evaluate it.
- Was the accident someone else’s fault? If you were at fault in a one car crash, there may not be much we can do to help you. We might be able to give you a little advice about getting your car fixed or getting your health insurance to pay your medical bills. But, if someone else was at fault in causing the accident, there is a better chance that our team can help you recover. In either case, our attorneys are happy to evaluate your claim and let you know if we can help.
- Does the party who caused the accident have auto insurance? If not, do you have auto insurance? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, there is a good chance that we may be able to help you with your claim.
Workers’ Compensation:
- Were you injured while doing your normal work for your employer? If yes, you might have a workers’ compensation claim, and you’ll want to have a lawyer experienced in workers’ compensation evaluate your case.
- Did you seek medical treatment for your injury? If you received medical treatment for your work injury, there is a good chance that you will need some legal advice about how to file and pursue a workers’ compensation claim.
Disability Claims
- Have you been denied disability benefits? If so, your disability claim might be ready for action. You should talk with a lawyer who is experienced in handling disability claims for further evaluation of your case.
- Do you need help filing your claim? If you are in the beginning stages of filing for disability and are struggling to figure out the next steps, we might be able to help you. One of our attorneys would be happy to review your case to determine whether we can assist.
Questions To Ask When Choosing A Lawyer
1) Check out the internet for lawyers who specialize in personal injury cases. A lawyer who specializes is generally going to be a better option for you than a “jack of all trades.” These types of law firms are basically telling you that they are basically “average at everything.”
2) Narrow your choices to a couple of attorneys and ask them these questions:
a) How long have you been in practice?
b) Do you have actual experience handling personal injury (or your type) cases?
c) Can I read about your track record of successes in personal injury cases?
d) Have you published any books or guides for consumers? (Check out our team’s injury and disability books here)
e) Are you board certified?*
f) Are you listed in SuperLawyers?**
g) What is your Martindale-Hubbell rating?***
h) Do you spend at least 80% of your time representing individuals against insurance companies in injury, disability, and malpractice cases?
A Final Word
One last important piece of advice. . . You should be careful of some of those 1-800-LAWYER type phone numbers. In some instances, people who call those numbers are routed through a call center which randomly sends your call to the next attorney in line. You may think you’re calling one lawyer when in fact you are routing to another.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, check out the credentials of the Ritchie Law Firm. Check out our members and awards on our Home page!. We have a proven track record of success and have been certified as well as highly ranked and rated by the above listed agencies. Talk to us and ask us what we bring to your case that other lawyers do not. There is absolutely no charge to talk to a lawyer. If you decide you’d like our help, we don’t charge a fee unless we win your case.