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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does an attorney charge in a personal injury case?
A: Although this depends on the attorney, in most cases, personal injury cases are
charged on a contingency fee basis, which means that the attorney does not receive any fee unless a recovery is obtained. It is important to know up front whether you will be responsible for any of the direct costs of investigating and pursuing your claim if the claim is not successful for some reason. At Reddy Baran & Kral we do not charge the client for any of the costs of the case unless the case is successful.
Q: Why don't I just deal directly with the other party's insurance agent and not hire a lawyer?
A: In general, insurance companies do not work for you. A negligent party's insurance company is motivated by profit concerns and, therefore, wants to pay you as little as possible. The other party's insurance adjusters are trained to minimize your recovery and have no duty to represent you. For example, they may have no duty to inform you of the applicable time limits for your particular claim. If your claim is not filed in a timely manner you can lose your rights forever. If you retain an attorney to represent you that attorney owes you a duty to represent your interest zealously and often can recover a much higher amount than the insurance company would offer to otherwise pay.
Q: Either myself or a loved one has been seriously hurt, or worse, and now I am being directed to a specific attorney to represent my legal interests. What should I do?
A: The decision to retain a particular attorney is an extremely important one. If you are the family member of a loved one that has been lost, there may be many legal issues to handle including setting up a probate estate so that a claim can be pursued.
Regardless of what you are told, the choice of attorney is YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. You should not allow others to pressure you into choosing a particular law firm to represent you. If you do feel undue pressure it may be worth asking why the person feels so strongly about the law firm he is recommending. Is he or she recommending a particular firm because they have had a favorable and real first-hand experience with that firms' representation or is it because he plays golf with a particular lawyer?
You should feel comfortable with the lawyer you choose to represent you. It is always reasonable to ask questions of prospective attorneys. Good attorneys will not be offended by this and in fact should welcome the opportunity to discuss their previous experience and successes. Some questions worth asking are:
- If I hire you will you be the lawyer personally handling my case from start to finish or will you assign my case to someone else?
- When was the last time you personally tried a case before a jury?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case? (You should question lawyers making promises of guaranteed outcomes).
- Will you provide me with your personal cell phone number so that I can contact you outside of your office hours?
- Will you have enough time to dedicate the necessary personal attention to my case? (You want to have a lawyer with a balanced caseload that allows him or her the necessary time to fully prepare for your case).
- What you is your experience with your firms' advertising such as television, back of phonebooks, and/or billboards being used by opposing counsel to influence jurors at trial?
Q: How do I know if I have a potential lawsuit?
A: The best way to figure this out is by contacting a lawyer. Even if you think you may not have a case, it is very possible that you actually do.
Q: How is the value of my injury determined?
A: This depends on a variety of factors such as lost wages, pain and suffering,
medical bills, emotional trauma, property damage and more.
Ultimately, if the parties cannot reach a fair settlement then a jury may decide what is required to fairly compensate you for your injuries.
Q: When should I file a lawsuit?
A: You should contact an attorney as soon as a possible to determine this! There is a time limit on these types of cases, so you do not want to lose your legal right to recover damages.
Q: What is the procedure during a standard personal injury lawsuit?
A: In most cases, your participation is minimal. Pre-trial court appearances are usually not necessary. Often cases will settle without the need for a trial. Reddy Baran & Kral explains what to expect to all of our clients and pride ourselves on our availability and keeping our clients fully informed.
Our lawyers practice personal injury law throughout Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Minnesota including, but not limited to, the following cities in Ohio: Ada, Alliance, Amherst, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Barberton, Batavia, Beachwood, Bellefontaine, Bellevue, Belpre, Bowling Green, Brunswick, Bryan, Bucyrus, Cambridge, Canfield, Canton, Celina, Chardon, Chillicothe, Cincinnati, Circleville, Cleveland, Columbiana, Columbus, Conneaut, Coshocton, Crestline, Dayton, Defiance, Delaware, Delphos, Dublin, East Liverpool, Eastlake, Elyria, Fairborn, Fairfield, Findlay, Fostoria, Fremont, Gallipolis, Geneva, Greenville, Grove City, Hamilton, Hilliard, Hillsboro, Ironton, Jackson, Kent, Kenton, Lakewood, Lancaster, Lima, Lisbon, Logan, Lorain, Loveland, Mansfield, Marion, Marysville, Mason, Massillon, Medina, Mentor, Middletown, Mount Gilead, Mt. Vernon, Napoleon, New Philadelphia, Newark, Newton Falls, Norwalk, Oberlin, Painesville, Pataskala, Paulding, Piqua, Portsmouth, Reynoldsburg, Salem, Sandusky, Sidney, Springfield, St. Clairsville, St. Marys, Steubenville, Stow, Tiffen, Toledo, Troy, Uhrichsville, Upper Sandusky, Urbana, Van Wert, Vermillion, Wapakoneta, Warren, Wauseon, West Chester, Westerville, Wheelersburg, Willard, Willoughby Hills, Wilmington, Wooster, Xenia, Youngstown, and Zanesville.
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