Questions to Ask A Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you believe that you might have a medical malpractice claim, the primary step is to find a medical malpractice lawyer. When interviewing lawyers, keep in mind that each lawyer thinks they can help with your case; however, only some of them actually will be able to do so for reasons discussed below.

Once you’ve found a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer, it is time to discuss the details of your case. The following are some suggestions for questions to ask during that meeting:

1. What Are the Time Limits for Filing a Lawsuit?

There is a period to file a lawsuit. It is two years from the date you have known that your injury was caused by medical negligence and that someone else’s negligence caused your injury. If the injuries were caused by medical malpractice, you should not delay consulting with an attorney.

2. How Much Damage Will You Suffer If You Miss the Deadline?

If you miss the deadline, the civil will almost certainly refuse to consider your claim against the hospital that harmed you. You would then have no legal recourse against that party for your injuries. 

It is why it is essential to contact an attorney immediately so that they can get started on your case while there is still plenty of time to do so.

3. What Are Your Fees?

Your Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer should give you an estimate of their fees in advance. Professional services are typically based on an hourly rate plus expenses; however, many lawyers will accept a contingency fee agreement.

A contingency fee agreement is when the client pays no legal fees unless they win their case and receive compensation for their injuries (essentially, you “don’t pay unless we win”).

4. What Kind of Cases Do You Handle?

Be sure that your medical malpractice lawyer handles cases similar to yours. They should provide you with examples and references from past clients and other professionals in the field (such as fellow medical malpractice lawyers).

5. Do You Have Experience Handling This Kind of Case?

Different medical malpractice lawyers specialize in other subspecialties, so find one that has experience handling your type of case. A good lawyer will tell you how many cases like yours they hold each year and whether any of them resulted in compromise or settlement before trial.

6. How Much Time Will You Spend on The Case?

The Pennsylvania statute of limitations says that the injured person must file any claim within two years of the date of the malpractice. 

In addition to experience handling your type of case, an excellent medical malpractice lawyer should be willing to commit the resources to prepare for trial if necessary. 

They should be able to give you an estimate of how many hours they will spend on your case and when they will be available to answer your calls or emails.

7. Will You Have a Chance to Review the Medical Records Before You Meet?

Medical records are vital in a medical malpractice case, and your lawyer should agree to let you review them before meeting with you. However, there is a chance that they may not allow you to check them before filing a suit if they believe that you need to file a claim quickly.

8. Do You Have the Necessary Resources to Investigate The Case?

If your medical malpractice lawyer does not have access to all of the resources they need for your case (such as experts), it can slow down their investigation and prolong the time that you wait for results.

9. What Kind of Results Have You Achieved in Similar Cases?

The more similar your case is to those handled by your lawyer in the past, the more likely they will achieve a positive outcome on your claim. Before hiring an attorney, ask them for specific examples of the results that they have performed on similar cases.