Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Virginia
If you are hurt and injured and need a medical malpractice lawyer in Virginia, how do you find the best one? No one wants to hire the lawyer that finished last in his class. Instead you want a lawyer that is experienced, cares about you and can get the job done right.
Here are some questions to help you research the best medical malpractice lawyer for your injury:
Do you have a track record of obtaining large jury verdicts and settlements?
This is important to ask because many medical malpractice claims go to trial in order to obtain the most compensation for injured clients. Many different types of injuries can leave the victim needing a lifetime of care. Keep in mind that every case is different. Simply because you see a case that sounds similar to your case does not mean you will obtain a similar verdict or settlement.
A good medical malpractice attorney should be able to show you results of past cases. Our personal injury law firm, Shapiro & Appleton has many large jury verdicts and settlements. Our firm has obtained, among others, a $25 Million birth injury settlement in this case, a child suffered brain damage from a birth-related injury.
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Do I have to pay a big retainer fee for your firm to take my medical malpractice case?
A retainer fee is an upfront payment paid to a lawyer in order for him to start researching your case and to see the case through to its conclusion. Some lawyers charge a fee between 10-30%. For someone who is already injured and most likely out of work this can be a barrier. A good law firm who feels you have a case will often handle your case on a contingent basis. This means that if you do not recover anything, you do not owe any fees. At our law firm we also advance the legal costs for you so that large corporations and insurance companies cannot overwhelm you with experts and other legal tactics. We will also assist you in obtaining all benefits available to you to help you in this difficult time.
What is your professional opinion of my medical malpractice case?
A lawyer should be able to calculate compensation for pain and suffering, payment of medical expenses and payment for future financial losses that occur as a result of the malpractice. Of course medical malpractice claims vary from case to case and Virginia presently has a cap of just over $2 million dollars. The lawyer should not tell you exactly how much you will receive because this varies and there is no way to guarantee a certain amount.
A simple google search for “the best lawyer” most likely will not help you find the best Virginia medical malpractice lawyer. Check with legal ratings services such as Martindale-Hubbell. Our firm currently holds an AV rating which is the highest.
Avvo is another legal rating service that rates individual lawyers, five of our attorneys currently have a superb rating. Once you have chosen several of these lawyers, make a consultation and ask each of them your questions in order to hire the best medical malpractice attorney for your Virginia case.
Find out more about our Medical Malpractice services by clicking here