What Should I Look For In A Car Wreck Attorney (Gulfport)

If you have been injured in a car accident in Gulfport, then you know that it is important to seek out legal help as soon as possible. Unfortunately, despite the billboards advertising injury lawyers down the length of I-10, you might not remember a single catchy slogan or phone number.

Furthermore, those billboards do not advertise lawyers based on their legitimacy or their care for your wellbeing. Billboards advertise lawyers based on how much they were willing to spend to get that available advertising space.
It seems silly when you are driving down the road, but when you need their help, what you should look for in a car accident attorney becomes much more important.

If the car wreck resulted in a severe injury or fatality, a lawyer is a top priority for both drivers involved in the crash as the case is likely to end in a settlement suit and may go to trial.

So, what should you look for in a car accident attorney? The team at Wetzel Law Firm will help answer your questions about finding a lawyer, what questions you should ask your car accident attorney, whether you should retain them or only seek their help after any legal trouble arises, and much more.

What Should I Look For in a Car Accident Attorney?

There are several things that can prove whether the car accident attorney you are looking for is right for your case or not – all you have to do is take look at a few key aspects and you will be on your way to getting your maximum settlement from the insurance company.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but it serves as an excellent starting point for questions that you can ask your attorney during the initial consultation. Your lawyer may also have questions for you, and you should answer these to the best of your ability.

When you are looking for a lawyer, remember that you two are entering into a confidential relationship. The more detailed information you can give the lawyer regarding your case and the circumstances around the case, the better argument they can build for your settlement claim.

Has Practical Experience

You should always work with a lawyer who has practical experience in the personal injury field. One of the most important things about hiring a lawyer is feeling comfortable about working with them. If you feel like you are in good hands with an experienced lawyer, then you have chosen well. The peace of mind that comes with your case being handled by someone with practical experience is priceless.

Your lawyer should have previous references and excellent client case studies for situations like yours. For example, the Wetzel Law Firm has been practicing personal injury law in Gulfport and surrounding Gulf coast towns for over 35 years.

They have the honor of being the premier choice for Gulfport’s residents with a 95% or greater success rate for all their personal injury clients. That is an astonishing track record, making them a great example of a trustworthy and capable personal injury lawyer.

Takes Your Case Seriously

You lawyer should, of course, take your case just as seriously as you are. A good lawyer will care about getting justice for you more than they will care about the money or potential review. There are other marks of success and competency you can look for as well, such as if they are well known and recommended in the community, or have written works and provided lectures in the past on their area of law.

You should also ensure that they have the means to take your case seriously, especially if you are working with your lawyer on a contingency basis, meaning they do not get paid until you get paid. Sometimes, personal injury cases can be expensive to pull together evidence for, with appointments, consultations with experts, and processing fees to take into consideration.

Good Client References

Your lawyer should be able to provide some client references, or at least some excellent client testimonials for cases like yours. They may not be able to disclose identifying information of their client due to a client confidentiality clause or respect for their past clients’ privacy, but the case success is the most important factor. If your lawyer is willing to supply positive client testimonials, that is a mark in their favor for good practical experience.

Additionally, you may consider asking your lawyer about times when the case did not work out, and why it was lost. This is not a conventional question to ask, but no lawyer has a 100% track record unless they are taking small cases and providing small wins for their clients. Sometimes, a claim does not work out or a suit falls flat. When this happens, your lawyer should be able to identify the areas where the case failed and how it might have gone differently.

Will Take Your Case to Trial if Necessary

Some car accident attorneys have never seen the inside of a court room and are still fresh to the field. These are not lawyers you want handling your personal injury claim, especially if you have been severely hurt in the process.
You should ask whether your attorney would be willing to take your case to court if it came to that. If they have not already provided client testimonials that involved a court trial, then ask to see a case where they represented their client in court. These case studies or testimonials should allow you to learn the result of the trial, not just the details.

Specializes in Personal Injury Law

The laws around personal injury are intricate and require an in-depth understanding that general-practice lawyers do not typically enough understanding of to best represent your case to the insurance company, or in court if it comes to a trial.

Lawyers who are not specialized in personal injury law may also accept lowball offers from insurance companies to provide quick case turnaround, rather than trying to maximize your settlement and get justice for the injuries caused and damages done do your property.

You should choose a specialist who understands personal injury law and has been exclusively practicing in that area of law for several years at least.

It can be confusing learning what to look for in a car accident attorney, but the most important thing to remember is that you should never feel bad about asking questions. In your position, the most powerful tool you have is direct questioning and clarifications. (1)

“At your first meeting, be ready to ask a lot of questions regarding both your particular matter and the lawyer's practice.”
Robert Bovarnick

If you dance around a question, what you are really trying to ask might not come through clearly, and it can seem like the lawyer is avoiding your questions. This is almost never the case, but it can make you think poorly of a lawyer who might be quite capable.

"We were born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and we care about the people of our community. If you have been seriously injured, lost a loved one, or are facing financial injustice, we can help."
-Jim Wetzel, Founder

If you are the victim of a car accident in Gulfport, MS, you should hire a competent and experienced lawyer. The Wetzel Law Firm has over 35 years of experience handling car accidents and other personal injury cases in the greater Gulfport area, proud to serve residents along the gulf coast and call this beautiful town home.

Should I Retain an Attorney for a Car Accident?

There is no standard for when you should or should not hire an attorney to handle your car accident case. If you feel uncomfortable handling a case yourself for any reason, hiring a personal injury attorney can help alleviate any worries or anxiety about the car accident and help guide you through the process.

If the car accident resulted in injuries of any kind, hiring a car accident attorney is a good idea, even for a few hours of consultation, so you can learn more about the process from someone who has spoken to insurance companies hundreds of times before.

If the crash resulted in a fatality, an attorney is highly recommended as the case will, in almost all cases, go to trial. In the case of fatalities, insurance companies almost always try to place some of the blame on the driver who was not at fault to get their driver out of as much hot water as possible. A driver who caused a death does not look good on their policy and they, as a company, are looking for any way to reduce how much settlement they money they pay to the victim.

Likewise, if the at-fault driver was driving drunk, then an attorney will be necessary as other legal ramifications are involved, and the case becomes much more complex when speaking to the insurance company. For example, more evidence than normal may be needed from you to prove that certain injuries were caused by the crash and were not pre-existing.

How Long Does a Car Accident Lawsuit Take?

A car accident lawsuit can take any length of time. The details of the crash can make a big difference in how much they are willing to pay out and how quickly they come to an amount that is within the range you are willing to accept for the pain and suffering caused by the accident.

Calculating how much you want to claim from the insurance company will also take time, as you must first get medical care and treat your injuries before seeing what the final cost will be to you. Medical costs, emotional trauma, lost time at work, and mental wellbeing are all counted as a part of Pain and Suffering, and many of these factors are difficult to put a numerical value on.

Retaining a car accident attorney is also an excellent idea if you suspect the case might go to trial. You should retain an attorney who has no problems with representing your case in a trial if it came to that. (2)

“Jury trials in car accidents typically last only a few days from the time jury selection begins until a verdict is reached. However, there is no set rule.”
David Landers

Your lawyer should be able to showcase a testimonial or case study where they represented a client in court. The length of the trial is not important, since trials can take a variable amount of time-based on the court schedules, the amount of evidence to present, and how severe the crash in question was. This testimonial should give you a clear answer as to what the jury’s verdict was, as well, so you can be certain they won the case.

What is the Average Settlement for a Minor Car Accident?

The difficulty in calculating the “average” settlement for a minor car accident comes in the fact that there is no average car accident. There are so many variables, starting with the health and age of each driver and whether there were any passengers in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Further factors, such as each vehicle’s age and condition, as well as weather conditions and special road hazards also come into play.

Insurance companies calculate hundreds of variables each time they come up with a figure of how much to pay in a settlement, and many of those are based on facts and figures from the crash. That hasn’t even touched the mental health or emotional wellbeing of each driver, which warrants their own investigations.

Still, some national estimates place the average “minor” car accident between $10,000 and $20,000 worth of settlements.

Depending on the circumstances, your settlement may be lower than that, in the $5,000 or less range if there were just a few bumps and scrapes that required minor hospitalization. Likewise, if there were fatalities or permanent injuries in your crash, you may be entitled to receive $100,000 or greater.

If the other driver’s insurance policy will not cover your claim, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit against the other driver, which will require the representation of a qualified personal injury lawyer.

How Long Do You Have to Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident in Gulfport?

When you get into a car accident, you might find yourself wondering how long you have to look for the right lawyer to handle your case. Luckily, in the state of Mississippi, there is a three-year time limit on filing a lawsuit against the other driver, but there is no set time limit for when you must have a lawyer on your case for the accident.

If the case were to go to trial, you may, in most cases, represent yourself; however, self-represented cases have a very low success rate and is rarely recommended. If a self-represented driver is not careful, they may wind up taking on the blame of the accident themselves and becoming liable for the other driver’s expenses.

“An experienced injury attorney can be extremely helpful in negotiating the often chaotic and confusing world of insurance claims and settlements.”
All Law

Ideally, you should call a lawyer as soon as you are able after you have been in a car accident. (3) The insurance company will not be idle in their investigations, and the more time your lawyer has to pull together medical records, pictures from the scene of the crash, and pour through the police reports, the stronger case they will have when handling the insurance adjuster.

Contact the Wetzel Law Firm Today

The right lawyer makes all the difference in getting the settlement you deserve, so asking yourself, “what should I look for in a car accident attorney?” is a reasonable question that should not be taken lightly. If you are injured in a car accident, who do you turn to?

If you were involved in a car accident in Gulfport, MS, or the surrounding Gulf coast area, give the experienced lawyers at Wetzel Law Firm a call. We are ready to represent your case and we care about getting you the settlement that you deserve.

You should focus on recovering and getting back to a life that you enjoy, not handling stressful phone calls from the insurance company and stacks of legal paperwork. Let us take care of the stress so you can get back to your favorite seat on the beachside sipping your favorite drink once again.

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