Have you been injured in an accident that wasn't your fault? Do you need to hire an attorney to take care of your case but you're not sure how to choose one? Often when you've been in an accident, the last thing that you want to do is to have to make any decisions. Despite this, picking an attorney at random may not yield the best results. In order to pick the right one for your case, it's important to ask a few questions before deciding to hire them. Here are some of the best questions that you should ask a potential attorney:

What fees do you charge? Never assume that you'll pay the same fees no matter what personal injury attorney you go to. While the standard for such an attorney is for him or her to receive a percentage of whatever settlement he or she is able to get for you, this percentage can vary between different firms and sometimes between different attorneys within the same firm. In most instances, you can expect about 1/3 of your settlement to go to your lawyer, but this can be slightly higher or lower depending on what you and your attorney discuss beforehand.

How long do cases like this typically take? Although he or she won't be able to give you an exact timeframe, an experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to give you a rough estimate based on his or her past experiences. He or she will also take into account things like how busy the court system is in your area and how much evidence there is to support your case. The stronger your case, the more likely it is that the other party will try to settle out of court as quickly as possible. 

Have you been at this practice for very long? When considering whether to hire a personal injury attorney, you may want to take into account not only how long he or she has been practicing law in general but also how long he or she has been practicing law in your area. Even for nearly identical lawyers, arguing a case in front of a judge in a busy courtroom may require a slightly different tactic than presenting the matter in a more rural and laid-back courtroom. An attorney who is more experienced with local courtroom etiquette can have a better chance of getting you a favorable judgment than one who only recently moved into the area.