On an unfortunate day, you were injured in an on-road mishap in Glenwood Springs that wasn’t your fault. After getting medical care and informing your insurance company, you are probably wondering whether you can sue the other driver for their disregard for safety. Colorado is a tort state, which means you could claim compensation from the at-fault party. While not mandatory, hiring a Glenwood Springs car accident attorney would help. Here are some quick things to remember.
- Hire a lawyer who specializes in personal injury law. A personal injury lawsuit may refer to an auto accident case, medical malpractice, a slip & fall accident, or even a dog bite. For these types of cases, you need an attorney specializing in PI law. Also, attorneys often work on a specific set of cases and, therefore, make sure that the lawyer has experience handling auto accident claims.
- Make your list. You would need to contact at least a few attorneys before you can choose one. Ask people you know about accident attorneys they have worked with. If that’s not an option, check websites for law firm listings in Colorado. Websites like Nolo, Avvo, and Google can help you sort and find potential attorneys.
- Don’t look for inflated promises. A pretentious attorney may convince you that your accident claim is worth a lot more than what you assume. While lawyers can predict a few things and evaluate the claim, they cannot promise a settlement figure. Also, stay away from attorneys who want to overestimate your losses or inflate your claim.
- Discuss the fee in advance. Top accident lawyers don’t charge an immediate fee but take a share of the settlement. The fee would be a fixed percentage of your compensation. The standard fee is one-third of the final amount, but experienced lawyers can charge on the higher side.
- Know the other expenses. The lawyer’s fee is contingent on the outcome of the case, but there are other expenses that a client must pay out of pocket. Ask your lawyer about such expenses, which could be related to legal work and accident investigation. Make sure that you are aware of all possibilities.
Colorado allows a window of three years to file a car accident lawsuit. The deadline starts from the date of the accident. Contact an attorney at the earliest so that they can start working on the case.