When to Sue a Negligent Driver

Suing negligent drivers requires that you, first and foremost, have a good attorney. A Dallas car wreck attorney will know how to handle these cases in a way that establishes that the other driver was negligent and that their negligence, in fact, is the reason that you were involved in a car wreck in the first place. There is no guarantee that a lawyer can successfully win you a settlement or a jury award, but your chances are certainly better if you have an experienced attorney in your corner.

What is negligence?

Negligence means that the other driver did not do what a reasonable person could be expected to do to provide for the safety of others. Depending upon the case, negligence may mean driving drunk, driving distracted or not following the speed limit or other rules of the road. There are many different ways that this term is defined and it requires a lawyer to determine how it applies in your case.

The consultation.

A consultation is when you sit down with a lawyer and work with them to determine whether or not you have a case. This can be done for free, in the case of lawyers that work on contingency. The consultation phase is where they see if it seems like you have a good case but they cannot know ahead of time whether or not your case will win. That requires filing it and seeing if a jury finds in your favor or if you're offered a settlement by the other driver.
The consultation may or may not result in you walking out with a lawyer on your side. If they think your case isn't going to win, they won't take it, particularly if they work on contingency.

What is a contingency agreement?

A contingency agreement is an agreement under which a lawyer takes your case without charging you unless they win. If your case does win, they'll bill you for their services. If the case loses, the motor vehicle accident lawyer foregoes all of their pay. This ensures that you don't end up paying if you don't win. Some very good attorneys work under these agreements and they're a great way to ensure that you're getting your money's worth when you hire an attorney to put your case together for you. You can also look at the attorney's experience in working with these cases to get a better idea of how well they may be able to handle yours.