How to Find the Best Motorcycle Accident Attorney for Your Case
Riding a motorcycle can be a freeing and exhilarating experience. Unfortunately, for those that like to ride, it can also be a dangerous experience. Despite motorcycles only making about 3% of the vehicles in the United States, they account for 14% of all traffic fatalities. If you have found yourself involved in a motorcycle accident, one of the first things that you are going to need is a motorcycle accident attorney.
What does it take to find the best motorcycle accident lawyer for your needs? Here is a guide on key things to look for in a motorcycle accident attorney.
Consider Location
One of the most important factors to consider when hiring a motorcycle accident attorney is that they are located near where the accident took place. This is ideal because the lawyer will be familiar with the local area. As a result, you will also save money on gas and have a shorter commute time.
Additionally, it helps to have a local lawyer because they likely have had several similar cases in that area. They may know what roads lead to more accidents as well as local laws that an out-of-town lawyer may not know.
Plus, they have likely worked with the same set of judges and prosecutors in the area before. For you, this means the lawyer is familiar with how those people operate in the courtroom and can strategize a case around those tendencies.
Consult an Experienced Motorcycle Accident Attorney
When hiring a lawyer, it’s best he or she has a lot of experience handling similar cases. The potential lawyer should also have had success in a majority of these cases.
If someone has had 50 motorcycle accident cases but only won 10 of them, you probably would not want that person over the one that has had maybe 20 cases but has won 15 of them.
Do your due diligence and ask for records of the cases if possible to help you determine that the lawyer you want to hire is capable of winning your case.
Ask About Lawyer Fees
In an ideal world, everyone would hire the best lawyer available to them, but unfortunately, not everyone has the budget to do this.
The national average for attorney fees is about $225 per hour. Luckily for this type of case, if you are the victim, it is more likely that you would have to pay a lawyer a contingency fee rather than an hourly rate. A contingency fee is a form of payment for the lawyer’s legal fees.
A contingency fee gives a lawyer a percentage of the money you would get awarded in a settlement. This means they don’t take any legal fees upfront. Lawyers often work on a contingency fee basis and do not require payment for their services until they win your case. This allows people to hire a lawyer without having to worry about legal fees while they secure legal representation for their case.
Check out Reviews and References
Businesses may be moving more towards the internet, but one thing that is still reliable for most businesses to gain a good reputation is word of mouth. This can happen either from positive online reviews for a business or even by asking around to see if someone in your social circle has used this type of lawyer before.
Let’s say your friend had a motorcycle accident a few years prior to you. They could confess this to you once your accident happens and send a lawyer to help you with your case.
Then, seeing reviews online for a lawyer should increase or decrease your confidence in their ability to get the job done. If there are a lot of 5-star reviews with past clients saying this lawyer saved the day, they are probably a good bet to go ahead with representation.
Collect Evidence
Something that you can do for yourself is to gather as much evidence and details about your case as possible. These can be things such as having pictures of the accident scene, a copy of the police report, medical records, a doctor’s note, and more.
The idea is that if you have all of your evidence prepared to present to a lawyer, a reputable one would be able to tell you in advance your chances of winning this case. That can not only save you a lot of time but potentially make you a lot of money and weed out lawyers that may not be up to this task.
Shop Around for a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Finally, do not limit yourself to the first lawyer that you go and speak to. It is perfectly ok to shop around because it is possible that the right lawyer may take a little longer to find.
Most lawyers offer a free consultation or a free case evaluation where you can get to know their style of performing the job, and they can give you a better idea of what you are getting into.
These meetings are your opportunity to ask a lawyer every question that you might have. You can leave them finding that you trust one lawyer more than the other or find one more knowledgeable than the other based on the way they operate in that meeting.
Do not limit yourself, and do not be afraid to move on to someone else.
Find the Best Motorcycle Accident Attorney
These are just six things that you can do to improve your chances of hiring the best motorcycle accident attorney out there. If you keep your options open while staying within your budget and doing your research, you should be fine.
Do you need a motorcycle accident attorney? Contact us for a consultation today.
