Questions to Ask a Lawyer About a Car Accident Stewart J. Guss, Attorney At Law

So, you h

ve you

sho

t list of

tto

neys you think m

y be

ble to help you

fte

you

ccident

nd inju

ies. Ho

do you kno

if you even h

se? Ho

n you tell

hich lyeill do the best possible job fo

you?

hen you c

l fi

m o

meet

ith

lye

in pe

son, you h

ve the oppo

tunity to

sk m

ny questions

bout both the

ccident

nd the

tto

ney—

nd you should

ys m

ke the most of this oppo

tunity! Eve

y l fi

m should be

illing to tho

oughly

you

questions to ensu

e you best unde

nd youights

nd thei

leg

l se

vices. Once you get on the phone ottend

meeting, it c

n be e

sy to fo

get m

ny of the issues you

nted to

ess. It c

n be

good ide

to p

checklist of questions

d of time to m

ke su

e you get

ll the info

tion you need to m

ke you

decision

hethe

to hi

tto

ney. The follo

ing is only one ex

mple of

list of questions you m

nt to

potenti

l lyefte c

ccident.

C
n I Expect Compens
tion fo
My Inju
ies?

You m

y h

feeling th

t you h

ve the

ight to compens

tion

fte

sh, though it c

n be difficult to kno

e, especi

lly if the othe

ty involved is denying li

bility.

ill g

the lot of info

tion

bout ho

the

ccident h

ppened,

hethe

the police issued cit

tions o

ests,

nd mo

e. The lye

is t

ying to dete

mine

hethenothe

ty m

y be held

esponsible fo

you

losses.

You

ill h

ve the

ight to seek compens

tion f

nothe

pty th

cted <

ef="https:

.l.co

nell.edu/

negligence”>negligently > to c

use the c

ccident. The

e m

ny diffe

ent types of negligence th

t m

esult in

ious

ccident,

nd the li

ble p

ties m

y include othe

ive

s, the employe

s of on-the-job-d

ive

s, c m

nuf

ctu

nd mo

e. Some ex

mples of negligence th

t le

d to compens

tion fo

victims include:

Dist

cted d
iving<
li>
D
unk d
iving
gg
essive d
iving<
li>
Viol
ting tffic ls<
li>
Defective
uto pts<
li>
H
zdous
o
ds<
li>

In some c

ses,

ing this question

ill

equi

e fu

the

investig

tion by the l

m, including inte

vie

ing

itnesses o

consulting

ith c

ccident expe

ts. They

nt to get enough info

tion to decide

hethe

they c

n p

ove negligence

nd li

bility in you

specific c

se. Ho

eve

, you should get

good ide

hethe

you m

y h

lid cl

im f

om you

initi

l consult

tion.

Ho
Much Compens
tion C
n I Expect?

ny people unde

estim

te the v

lue of thei

ccident losses. If you neve

lye

, you m

equest

ccept compens

tion th

t is f

n you dese

ve. You

ill likely be su

ised by

tto

ney’s

ding the potenti

l v

lue of you

im. Of cou

se, it is

lmost impossible to estim

te the end v

lue of

t the beginning of the p

ocess, but

n expe

ienced l

ill be

ble to give you info

tion

nd estim

tes to help est

blish

nge. The most common losses e medic

l bills

nd lost income if you

inju

equi

ed you to miss

k. Ho

eve

skilled c

ccident lye

kno

s th

t losses c

n include much mo

e th

n existing medic

l bills

nd lost income. You c

lso seek compens

tion fo

int

ngible losses, including p

nd suffe

ing, pe

nent inju

ies,

nd loss of enjoyment of life. Noneconomic d

ges c

n be

th mo

e th

n you might im

gine,

nd c

n often inc

se the v

lue of you

hen p

ope

ly c

lcul

ted. Ho

eve

, be p

ed fo

n insu

nce comp

ny to ch

llenge the

mount of noneconomic d

ges you cl

im,

nd the

ight l

n negoti

te fo

the

mount you dese

ve. M

ny c

ses

ith subst

nti

l p

nd suffe

ing d

ges o

t involve pe

nent inju

ies m

y not be

esolved th

ough the insu

nce cl

ims p

ocess

nd m

equi

son

l inju

y l

suit.

Ho
Much Time Do I H
ve to T
ke Leg
l
ction?<
h2>
The
ns
e
to this question
ill depend on
h
t st
te you e in
nd the specific ci
cumst
nces of you
c
se. E
ch st
te sets its o
n st
tute of limit
tions fo
pe
son
l inju
y lsuits
nd, if you file you
c
se
fte
the st
tute of limit
tions expi
es, the othe
p

ty m
y successfully get the c
se dismissed
nd you lose youight to seek compens
tion. Fo
this
e
son, it’s
bsolutely essenti
l th
t you unde
st
nd the time limits
nd begin you
leg
l c
se in plenty of time.

<
h
ef=”https://st
tutes.c
pitol.tex
s.gov
Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm”>In Tex
s<>, fo
ex
mple, you only h
ve t
o yes f
om the d
te of
n inju
y o f
t
lity to file
cl
im fo
pe
son
l inju
y o
<
h
ef=”https://st
tutes.c
pitol.tex
s.gov
Docs/CP/htm/CP.71.htm”>

ongful de
th<>. T
o ye

s sounds like
long time to m
ny people,
nd it c
n be e
sy to put off t
king
ction, especi
lly
hen you e de
ling
ith medic
l
ppointments
nd
djusting to life
ith you
inju
ies. Ho
eve
, the
e is much th
t h
s to h
ppen befo
e you file
l

suit
fte c
ccident, including:

You need to select the
ight c
ccident
tto
ney fo
you
c
se.<
li>

You
lyeill then investig
te the
ccident to g
the
evidence of li
bility
nd to c
lcul
te you
d
m
ges.

You
lyeill file
n insu

nce cl
im
ith the negligent p

ty’s insu

nce comp
ny. They then
ill t
y to obt
in the settlement you dese
ve stight f
om the insu
e
,
hich c
n t
ke time going b
ck
nd fo
th
ith negoti
tions.

If the insu

nce cl
im is not
dequ
te to fully compens
te you fo

ll you
losses, you
l

ye

ill then h
ve to p
ep

e
pe
su
sive compl
int to initi
te you
pe
son
l inju
y lsuit.<
li>

The compl
int must be filed
ithin the st
tute of limit
tions.

The p
ocess le
ding up to
cou
t filing c
n e
sily t
ke months, if not longe
. If you

it until the st
tute of limit
tions is
lmost up, you could lose you
ch
nce to file
cl
im o
you
cl
im m
y be
ushed. You should be

e of you
time constints
s soon
s possible
fte
you
c

sh.

h
t Is You
Pl
n fo
My C
ccident C
se?<
h2>
E
ch c
ccident c
se is unique
nd e
ch one c
n follo

diffe
ent p
th. Some f
cto
s th
t
ill
ffect
n
tto
ney’s pl
n include:

hethe
the
e

e multiple li
ble pties<
li>

If the li
ble pties e individu
l d
ive
s
nd
o
co
po

tions

hich insunce comp
nies cove
the li
ble p

ties

The extent of you
inju
ies
nd
hethe
you suffe
ed pe
m
nent imp
i
ments

The v
lue of you
cl
im<
li>

If you h
ve
l

ye

ho is ext
emely f
mili
ith e
ch insu

nce comp
ny
nd civil cou
t, they c
n gene

lly info
m you of thei
pl
ns fo
you
c
se up f
ont. Kno
th
t pl
ns c
n ch
nge,
nd
c
se they expected to
esolve
ith
n insu
e
m
y end up in cou
t fo
vious
e
sons. Ho
eve
, you
l

ys

nt to be in
ptne
ship
ith youtto
ney,
nd kno
ing the det
ils of thei
pl
n is impo
t
nt.

Ho
Do I P
y fo
My Medic
l Bills
hile My C
se is Pending?<
h2>
C
ccident cl
ims c
n t
ke time,
nd you
ill

tch you
bills pile up
hile you
c
se is pending. You
ill
lso h
ve to figu
e out
y to cove
cop
ys
nd othe

equi
ed expenses so you c
n
eceive the t
e
tment you need. The
e

e diffe
ent options to help you depending on you
loc
tion
nd situ
tion.

Pe
son
l inju
y p
otection (PIP) covege - Some st
tes offe
—o
even
equi
e—PIP insu

nce fo
d
ive
s. <
h
ef="https:
/
.tdi.tex
s.gov/pubs/consume

cb020.html”>In Tex
s,
ll
uto policies
utom
tic
lly include PIP insu

nce >
nd you must decline this cove

ge fo
m
lly in

iting. This is
type of no-f
ult insu

nce th
t should cove
you
medic
l expenses
hethe
o
not you
e
e
t f
ult fon
ccident.

Medic
l p
yments cove

ge – Often c
lled MedP
y, this is
type of covege you c
n
lso get
s p

t of you

uto insu

nce policy. MedP
y cove
s you
cop
ys
nd out-of-pocket costs
fte

n
ccident even if someone else s
t f
ult.<
li>

Supplement
l insunce - Comp
nies like
fl
c offe
supplement
l insu

nce policies th
t p
ovide
ce
t
in
mount of cove

ge in the c
se of medic
l eme
gencies, such
s
fte c
ccident. This policies often cost only
fe
doll

s e
ch month
nd c
n help immensely
fte

n
ccident.<
li>

Contingency-b
sed medic
l billing – You

tto
ney m
y kno
of ce
t
in medic
l p
ovide
s th
t
ill hold you
medic
l bills contingent on you
pending settlement. In this situ
tion, you
p
ovide

g
ees to p
ovide se
vices
ithout p
yment b
sed on the f
ct th
t you h
ve
pending c
ccident c
se. Once you
e
ch
settlement, you o
you
lye
c
n p
y the medic
l p
ovide
s stight f
om the settlement.

Litig
tion funding -
lso commonly
efeed to
s “l

suit lo
ns,” litig
tion funding p
ovides you
ith upf
ont funding in
nticip
tion of
coming settlement. These lo
ns don’t
equi
e
c
edit check o
income ve
ific
tion—they only
equi
e confi
m
tion th
t you h
ve
pending cl
im th
t is likely to settle. Ho
eve
, some comp
nies ch

ge high fees
nd inte
est on these lo
ns, so only obt
in these if you h
ve no othe
options.

C
edit cds - If you don’t h
ve insu

nce cove

ge fo
you
medic
l expenses
nd you
p
ovide
s
ill not
ccept contingency-b
sed billing, you m
y be
ble to cove
you
bills using c
edit fo
the time being. If you h
ve the
v
il
ble c
edit
nd it
on’t
ffect you
sco
e too much, you c
n cove
you
o
n bills
nd keep tck of eve
y p
yment you m
ke.
hen you
eceive you
settlement, you c
n use the funds to p
y off the c
edit c

d b
l
nces.

Too m
ny people believe th
t thei
medic
l bills
ill get sent stight to the li
ble p

ty o
thei
insu

nce comp
ny. This isn’t the c
se,
nd you m
y be
esponsible fo
ce
t
in p
yments to continue t
e
tment
hile you
c
se is pending. You
lye
c
n help you
eigh you
options
nd devise
pl
n to cove
these costs fo
the time being.

I Need Medic
l T
e
tment fo
Ye

s to Come. Ho

ill I Cove
Those Costs?<
h2>
Once you
eceive you
settlement, you c
n p
y off you
existing medic
l bills. Ho
eve
, if you need ongoing medic
l t
e
tment fo
the fo
esee
ble futu
e, hoill you cove
those costs? This is
common scenio,
s m
ny c
ccident inju
ies
equi
e months o
ye

s of t
e
tment. You
lye
should include
ll of the estim
ted costs of futu
e t
e
tment in you
cl
im. Estim
ting futu
e costs c
n be t
icky,
nd l

ye
s often use the help of medic
l expe
ts
ho

e f
mili
ith the type of t
e
tment you
inju
y
equi
es
nd the costs
ssoci
ted
ith th
t t
e
tment. You c
n seek compens
tion
he
d of time fo
those futu
e expenses. Once you
eceive you
settlement
nd p
y you
existing bills, you should h
ve enough left ove
to cove
you
futu
e bills. You need to m
ke su
e you h
ve
pl
n to m
n
ge you
settlement funds to ensu
e you h
ve enough
s the futu
e medic
l bills come in.

h
t Do You Need f
om Me?<
h2>
This is
n impo
t
nt question to
sk you
c
ccident l

ye
fo
m
ny
e
sons. Fi
st, it sho
s youillingness to
ssist
nd pticip
te in you
c
se
hen needed. It
lso info
ms you of the
ole you
ill pl
y in you
o
n c
se, so the
e

e no su
p
ises do
n the line. Fin
lly,
hen you
l

ye
info
ms you of possible documents o
info
m
tion they
ill need, you
ill h
ve plenty of time to p
epe
h
t’s needed. If you e
e
dy
ith the necess

y documents
nd info
m
tion, it c
n s
ve time fo
both you
nd youtto
ney,
nd it c
n help
void del
ys in the leg
l p
ocess.

These

e only some ex
mples of questions to
sk
fte c
ccident. The
e e m
ny othe
issues you m
y be
onde
ing
bout,
nd you should t
ilo
you
questions b
sed on you
o
n needs
nd situ
tion. You should
lys feel kno
ledge
ble
bout you
c
se
nd
hat to expect.

C n I Expect Compenstion fo My Injuies?

Ho Much Compens tion Cn I Expect?

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C
n I Expect Compens
tion fo
My Inju
ies?

Ho
Much Compens
tion C
n I Expect?