VWB Blog Unfortunately, getting into an accident is more common if you ride a motorcycle on the road. Despite making up so few of the vehicles on the road, motorcycles account for 14% of accidents. This means you need to prepare yourself in case it happens to you.
In most cases, you can handle the problem yourself. But if you aren’t getting results, you may need to contact an accident lawyer to get help.
Do you want some help finding the best motorcycle accident lawyer near me? Use the guide below to learn where to look for a lawyer and how to find the best option for your case.
How to Find Motorcycle Attorneys
With how many options are available for motorcycle accident attorneys, some people have trouble knowing where to start their search. Below are some great resources to help you find your local motorcycle accident attorneys.
Get Recommendations
Auto accidents happen more than you think. Even if you’ve never seen one before, that doesn’t mean they don’t happen around you all the time. And if that’s the situation, you may know someone that’s been in an accident.
Check with the people you know to see if they’ve been in an auto accident that required a lawyer. You can then ask them to provide the number of the lawyer they worked with.
This is a great way to get first-hand information about how well a local attorney handles accident cases. This is often better than reading reviews online from people you don’t know.
Check the Bar Association
The bar association website for your local area is a great resource to turn to if you want information about local lawyers. Every lawyer needs to be a member of the bar. If they aren’t, they can’t offer legal services.
Most bar association websites have a find a lawyer feature. You can input the type of lawyer you want and get a list of options in your area.
From there, you can see which lawyers have a good reputation and which have strikes on their records. Use this information to remove bad actors and limit your choices.
Google Search
Google search may be one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal when looking for local help. A single search will give you a list of all the lawyers in your area and how close they are to where you live.
On top of that, you can read reviews from previous clients on Google Maps. Most reputable lawyers and firms have plenty of reviews on search engines.
Look through those reviews to see if there is a pattern of unhappy clients. You can use that information to remove the poor lawyers from your search and stick to the high-rated attorneys in your area.
What to Ask Motorcycle Attorneys
Now that you have a list of lawyers to research, you’ll need to determine if they’re the best motorcycle accident lawyer for the job. Ask the questions below before you hire a motorcycle accident attorney.
Do You Have Motorcycle Accident Experience
There are several forms of personal injury. You have medical malpractice, slip-and-fall accidents, product defects, and more. That means there is a lot to learn about each field.
You can’t rely on a lawyer with experience in another injury field to represent you in a motorcycle accident case. Someone without experience won’t know all the little details that go into getting a settlement.
Ask your personal injury attorney what their history is like with motorcycle accidents. Ideally, you’ll get examples of successful cases that show that a lawyer has the experience for the job.
Do You Work on Contingency?
It’s not easy to pay for a lawyer using standard payment methods. You’ll probably pay hourly if you work with someone for some time. Those hours can add up over time and cost a lot of money.
Most people can’t afford this. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware that you have other payment options when working with a lawyer for an accident case.
The answer to this problem is working with someone on a contingency. In this situation, you don’t pay your lawyer upfront for work. Instead, you only pay someone if they win.
You’ll pay an amount equal to a percentage of your settlement amount. You won’t get your total settlement, but you can use a contingency to get a lawyer and results.
Who Will Represent Me?
Understanding who your lawyer will be is critical before hiring a law firm. If you decide to work with a more prominent law firm, the person you speak with in the office may not be the person who handles the day-to-day of your case.
Firms do this because the big names in a firm already have a ton of work. They pass other cases to associates to continue getting new clients.
There’s nothing wrong with this practice. But you should be aware of it before you sign with a firm. Ask to speak with the lawyer who will represent you to understand who you’ll work with after committing to a law firm.
How Do You Communicate
Finding a great communicator is critical if you want a pleasant experience. Even though lawyers work in a profession that deals with people, that doesn’t mean everyone is a great communicator.
Be sure you understand someone’s communication preferences before you hire them. A lawyer handling most of the heavy lifting doesn’t mean they should barely contact you. They should provide regular updates on their progress.
It also pays to check what response time a lawyer has. Will you get a response in under 24 hours? Or will you have no estimate for when someone gets back to you about your case?
Answer all these questions to determine if a lawyer will meet your communication needs.
Will You Go to Trial?
Most accident claims don’t go to trial. In most situations, the insurance company will give you a settlement without a problem. If you do need to get an attorney involved, you can settle most things out of court.
But this only happens if an insurance company believes they will lose more money by going to court. This may be what happens if you don’t have a great case.
Unfortunately, some accident attorneys try to avoid court at all costs. They may try to get you to settle for less than you deserve to avoid going to the courtroom.
You can’t afford this to happen if you want the settlement you deserve. Ask a lawyer if they’re willing to head to trial for their clients and how often they have.
How Much Local Experience Do You Have?
The law can change a lot based on where you live. Going a few miles can make a massive difference if you live on a state border.
That’s why you must find a lawyer who is local to your area. A local lawyer will know your local rules and the best ways to use them to help you win your case.
Check to see if someone has a local office. If a lawyer lives in your area, the chances are that they handle clients close to you and know the local rules.
Remember, though, that a lawyer in a different area may still be able to handle your case. Ask them if they’ve worked in your area before and their success rate in your location.
What’s Required of Me?
Different lawyers require different things from their clients. Some attorneys like to handle most of the work themselves. They rarely give clients something to do and mainly provide updates about the case.
However, some attorneys like to involve their clients more. They believe more can get done when the client is more involved since it may surface issues the attorney wouldn’t discover otherwise.
You may not want to be more hands-on if you’re trying to recover from an accident. Because of that, you need to understand what’s required of you during the case.
Ask an attorney what they expect from you and choose one that meets your expectations.
You’re Ready to Find the Best Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near Me
Picking a motorcycle accident lawyer is a big choice. You need help dealing with the fallout of your accident. It’s not easy to wait for the insurance company to go through the motions and provide the compensation you deserve.
That’s why finding the best motorcycle accident lawyer near me can make a big difference. Find a great lawyer today to maximize your chance of getting a successful result from your accident claim.
Are you interested in learning more tips that will help you through other stressful life situations? Read the latest advice on the blog.