Photo from Unsplash
Originally Posted On: https://alphaaccidentlawyers.com/blog/5-tips-to-hire-the-right-nevada-bicycle-accident-attorney/
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bicycle deaths and injuries cost Americans $23 billion each year. Included in these cost estimates are loss of life, lost quality of life, health care, and lost work productivity. Without the right attorney, these victims may have to cover these costs themselves. You, however, don’t have to. If Nevada residents find the right Nevada bicycle accident attorney, they can get the compensation that they’re due.
Read on to learn five lawyer-searching tips. They should give you the best chance of finding the right bicycle accident lawyer for you.
1. Check the License of the Nevada Bicycle Accident Attorney
To gain a license and become a State Bar of Nevada member, a lawyer must pass an exam and undergo an evaluation of his or her past actions, inherent character, etc. However, competency isn’t the most important reason that you should choose a licensed lawyer over a nonlicensed one. According to Nevada law, it is illegal for an attorney to practice law without a license.
Before you begin a consultation with a bike accident attorney, ask for or find information about his or her license. Looking up the lawyer on the State Bar of Nevada website is also possible. The ‘find a lawyer’ page has a search bar where you can look up your potential lawyer by name.
An added benefit of the latter research method is that you can also find out about disciplinary actions and other details about potential lawyers. This can help you further vet ones with poor track records from ones with superior track records.
2. Ask Lawyers About Their Experience With Bicycle Accident Cases
If a lawyer has a license, you can expect them to have the preliminary education requirements. It’s more important to ask about his or her experience level. However, you shouldn’t just ask lawyers about their overall experience in practicing law.
You need to ask them about how much experience they’ve had handling cases that are similar to yours. Attorneys usually don’t handle cases in all areas of law. They tend to focus on one or more specialties such as criminal law or worker’s compensation.
Bicycle and vehicular accidents fall under the umbrella of personal injury law. When you’re seeking out a lawyer for a bicycle accident case, ask them about their experience with personal injury cases. A lawyer that has more experience and/or specializes in this area should get you the best results.
3. Discuss the Way You’ll Pay for the Attorney’s Services
The way that you’ll pay for an attorney’s services can vary. Some lawyers charge for their services on a contingency fee basis. Contingency fees are percentages of the monetary compensation that the lawyer wins for you. These fees will come out of the settlement and covers the cost of the lawyer’s services. This way you won’t need to pay anything upfront from your own finances.
However, you may need to pay the lawyer for certain fees yourself if the lawyer is unable to win you a monetary settlement. For example, if your case goes to court, you may need to pay court fees.
Another thing to keep in mind is that lawyers usually only agree to a contingency fee payment plan if they believe your case is winnable. In other situations, lawyers charge an hourly fee. Attorneys usually charge from $100 to $400 an hour on average.
In general, be sure to ask the lawyer about their payment methods and read the contract carefully so you know for certain what you’re agreeing to.
4. Ask How They’ll Handle Insurance Negotiations
In many car accident claims, your car accident attorney will have to negotiate with insurance adjusters instead of other lawyers. Your lawyer may try to gain compensation from the insurance company of the at-fault driver. This process will likely start with the lawyer drafting a demand letter and sending it to the insurance company in question.
Unfortunately, Nevada has a modified comparative fault statute. Adjusters can use this to shift enough of the blame for the accident onto you. If you’re found at fault for more than half of the issues related to the accident, you’ll receive no compensation.
The best way you can be certain that this won’t happen is to have your lawyer walk through the steps he or she will take during this process.
5. Look for References and Reviews
Reviews from previous clients can give you some great insight into how well the law firm works in the field. You’ll likely be able to find some of these on the law firm’s site.
You probably won’t find any negative reviews there, though. If you want any possible negative reviews, though, you may have to find them on the usual popular review sites. These include places such as Yelp and Google Customer Reviews.
The lawyer may also give you some ways to contact previous clients if you wish. You can then ask these individuals to give you some details on how their experience with the law firm went.
Our Award-Winning Accident Law Firm Can Get You the Compensation You Deserve
It may be difficult to do all this searching while you’re injured. However, you must press on or ask a friend or family member to help. Think about the relief that you’ll feel when you win what you deserve.
While you’re searching, consider hiring a Nevada bicycle accident attorney with us. Alpha Accident Lawyers is an award-winning law firm that has a 99% success rate and recovered millions of dollars. Request a free consultation by chatting, calling, emailing, or filling out the contact form.
