CAR ACCIDENT CASE

Most likely not. If a car accident attorney or personal injury attorney tells you that your case is worth such and such, then run away as that attorney is not telling you the truth. It is virtually impossible to say how much your case is worth at a first meeting. There are too many factors involved at the beginning of a car accident case to get an accurate picture of the value of a car crash case.

If you have a car accident case where the at fault driver has the legal minimum state of Colorado limits of $25,000, then that is really the only situation where an attorney can comment on value. If you have serious injuries or even half way serious injuries and your case is worth more than $25,000, then any decent and experienced personal injury lawyer will tell you that $25,000 is the maximum that I can recover. Since it is the maximum that you can recover against the at fault driver, then it is easy to say, well I will get you $25,000. With good injuries, a good car accident lawyer can negotiate with the at fault driver’s insurance company for that $25,000.

CONTINGENCY FEES OF 33.33%

Most car accident lawyers charge 33.33% or 1/3 of the total settlement that they get for a car accident case. Some shady attorneys try to charge up to 40% which I personally think is ridiculous. 40% is reserved mainly for those cases that have to go to Court or where litigation is started in the court system. But some shady attorneys will charge more than 1/3 to try to justify paying their staff or secretaries, etc.

I personally only charge 1/3 of the total settlement obtained by me from the at-fault driver’s attorney. My job is to get the most money in my client’s pocket and if I charge more than 1/3, I feel like I am not doing my job correctly and feel like I am overcharging.

So never let a personal injury lawyer or car accident lawyer charge you more than 1/3 of the total gross settlement. If he or she will not negotiate with you or charge you the normal contingency fee, then find another car accident attorney who will be fair with his or her fee.

WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR FIRST MEETING WITH YOUR CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY?

The first meeting with your car accident lawyer is where you both sit down in person. Some lawyers do this by video or zoom but I believe you need to know your personal injury lawyer just like you need to know your doctor. If you do not get along with your lawyer, then you need to go elsewhere. Or if your car accident lawyer is spouting off about how much money he can get you, run away. Any lawyer who is telling you that he can get you a lot of money is usually the type of personal injury attorney that will get you actually less money than most.

In the first meeting, the car accident lawyer is trying to get a feel for your appearance, how you may come across to a Jury, and will want an honest and truthful client. This is why this meeting at the very least needs to be in person. Then, the lawyer will have you describe the facts of your car accident and will further ask about the extent of your injuries and what hospital or doctors that you have already seen up to that point.

A good car accident attorney will be able to refer you to the doctors that you need for your specific type of injuries. For example, if you have whiplash type injuries, then a good lawyer will send you to a chiropractor who more or less specializes in car accident injuries or a physical therapist. Medical doctors normally only treat fractures, broken bones and mutilation.

Be prepared for these type of questions.

Questions a good attorney may ask:

  • The details of the crash? 
  • If you have a copy of the police report? 
  • What kind of damage there was to the vehicles and if you have photos?
  • Was the other driver ticketed?
  • Were there any witnesses and did you get their contact information? 
  • Whether you sought medical treatment after the accident? 
  • What car insurance coverage you have and go over how that coverage may be helpful even though you were not at fault for the crash.  

A good attorney will ask you about who was at fault for the crash. Was the other driver 100 percent at fault or did you also have some blame for the crash? If you did have some blame, do not worry. If the other driver is more at fault, then you will have a good car accident case.