Most people know that heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the country at this time. But did you know that medical errors are hot on their heels?
Recent studies have shown that more than 250,000 people die as a direct result of medical errors every year. Hundreds of thousands of others are also adversely affected by medical errors that are made.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to a medical error made by a health care professional, consider hiring a medical malpractice lawyer. They can help you hold a medical professional accountable for their actions and allow you to get your hands on the compensation you deserve.
Here are five questions to ask before hiring a medical malpractice lawyer.
1. How Much Experience Do You Have?
Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is not easy to do. It presents challenges to even the most experienced medical malpractice lawyers.
Therefore, you should find one with as much experience as possible. You want someone on your side who has been taking on medical malpractice cases for at least a few years now.
It’ll ensure that your medical malpractice lawsuit is filed properly and that it stands a stronger chance in court.
2. How Many Cases Involving Medical Malpractice Have You Worked On?
In addition to asking a medical malpractice lawyer how much experience they have, you should also ask them how many medical malpractice cases they’ve worked on.
Just because a lawyer has five years of experience doesn’t mean they’ve played a part in dozens of medical malpractice lawsuits. They could very well only have a handful of medical malpractice cases under their belt.
3. Does Your Firm Have Other Medical Malpractice Lawyers?
Because medical malpractice lawsuits are so complicated, it’s a good idea to give yourself access to more than one medical malpractice lawyer. In a perfect world, you’ll work with a lawyer who is a part of a firm with several medical malpractice lawyers working at it.
Find out more about how working with a law firm with a strong medical malpractice background can benefit you.
4. How Strong Do You Think My Case Is?
At some point, you should talk about your specific medical malpractice case when hiring a medical malpractice lawyer. Discuss your case at length and share details about what happened and how it has affected you.
This will give a lawyer some idea as far as how strong your case is. You want someone who feels passionately about representing you and your case in court on your legal team.
5. How Much Do You Charge?
Most medical malpractice lawyers work on what is called a contingency basis. This means they won’t collect a fee from you unless they help you win your case in court or earn you a settlement.
Speak with lawyers about their contingency fees. Most collect a percentage of the compensation you receive. But that percentage can vary from one medical malpractice lawyer to the next.
Take Your Time When Hiring a Medical Malpractice Lawyer
There is no reason to rush through the process of hiring a medical malpractice lawyer. Feel free to ask these questions to as many lawyers as you want.
Carefully consider their answers before choosing the right lawyer for your case. It’ll give you all the confidence in the world in the lawyer you choose.
Read the other articles on our blog to find more advice on hiring lawyers.
