By Osborne & Francis
October 25, 2023

FAQ: Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been seriously injured as a result of another party’s negligence, you may have questions about hiring a personal injury lawyer. The process of filing a personal injury lawsuit can seem intimidating, but there is no reason to go it alone. With the help of a qualified accident injury lawyer, you can increase your chances of receiving maximum compensation for your lost wages, medical expenses, and other losses, like loss of quality of life.

The personal injury attorneys of Osborne & Francis are accessible to you free of charge for a case evaluation. We welcome the opportunity to explain the benefits of our services and provide insight into your claim. You can schedule a free consultation with our team by giving us a call at (561) 293-2600 or contacting our Orlando or Boca Raton offices.

Do I Need to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?

If you intend to pursue legal action against the negligent party, we would highly recommend acquiring professional legal representation. This has several advantages. First of all, you get the benefit of their expertise. This is what they do for work every day; chances are they’ve handled claims similar to yours and know what to expect from insurance companies and their representatives. 

Second, there can be a substantial administrative burden when filing and litigating a personal injury claim. Most people are unprepared to deal with a plethora of legal and medical paperwork, especially while they are trying to recover from an injury. Third, hiring a personal injury lawyer signals to the insurance company that you intend to fight for your claim, so they will be less likely to try to write you off with a minimal settlement. 

It also shows that your claim is more likely to have merit, as any reputable personal injury attorney would not take a claim that they knew to be false. If you still aren’t convinced that your claim warrants hiring a lawyer, you can always preview the services they offer by securing a free consultation.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Lawyer?

Personal injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis. What that means for you is you don’t have to provide any type of payment upfront. If we agree to take on your case, we will take on the burden of collecting evidence, conducting an investigation, filing paperwork with the insurance company and the courts, negotiating with the insurance company, and even taking your claim to trial. Once you receive your settlement or court award, we are paid out of that sum, usually about 33% of the value. If we are not able to recover compensation for your claim, then you don’t owe us a dime.

How Long Will it Take to Receive Compensation?

Generally, the average personal injury claim is settled within 6 months to a year from the date of filing. Certain types of claims may take longer, especially if liability is unclear or divided between multiple parties. After your claim is officially settled, you can expect a check within about 6 weeks.

What Questions Should I Ask Before Choosing to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?

It is always a good idea to thoroughly research a personal injury lawyer before committing. Remember, this person and their team will be representing you and will play a significant role in how much compensation you receive. This is not an exhaustive list, but a few questions you should ask yourself before hiring a personal injury lawyer include:

  • Does this lawyer have a history of successfully litigating cases similar to mine?
  • What do former clients have to say about their service?
  • Are they respected by their fellow lawyers?
  • Do they regularly take claims to trial?
  • Can they provide me with a clear picture of what to expect from this process?
  • Do they take the time to answer my questions? 

What is the Process of a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Generally, the process begins with a free consultation where our team can get a better idea of what happened in your case, and you can get a feel for how we operate and what services we offer. After that, if you hire us and we agree to take on your case, we will send documents to the defendant’s representatives notifying them that we will represent you. Also, we will send a letter outlining our claim against them, and asking for certain information from them. 

Once the evidence has been collected and we have conducted an investigation to our satisfaction, we will attempt to prove that the defendant, and therefore their insurance carrier, is liable for your damages. If they accept liability, we then proceed with negotiating a settlement. This process is first attempted out of court, in mediation or arbitration with a third party presiding. If we cannot come to a resolution, the case may go to trial as a personal injury lawsuit. In that case, the settlement would be decided by a judge or jury.

How Much Compensation Will My Attorney be Able to Get Me?

This question is far too broad to answer definitively, but if the injuries are permanent, resulted in death, or greatly compromised your ability to work or enjoy life, you are more likely to receive a larger settlement. Every claim is different, and the value of a plaintiff’s damages is calculated with respect to their personal circumstances. That is to say, two people who sustain comparable injuries in similar car accidents may still receive significantly different amounts of compensation depending on how their injuries impacted their career, lifestyle, and quality of life. 

Of course, we always aim to maximize your compensation; it’s what you hire us for. Once we have reviewed your claim, we will likely be able to give you a clearer picture of what you can expect in terms of compensation. By that point, we will have a better idea of how your injuries have already and will continue to affect your life.

Why Should I Hire Osborne & Francis to Represent Me?

When it comes to securing a settlement for a serious injury, you want the best team on your side. The personal injury attorneys of Osborne & Francis have dedicated themselves to providing excellent service to Floridians who have been injured by someone else’s negligence. 

We have been quite successful at securing maximum compensation for our injured clients, making us award-winning personal injury lawyers. This is a result of our work ethic, expertise, and communication style. Over the past 7 years, we have become known as formidable representatives, which we leverage to get you the compensation you deserve. 

The insurance companies do not have your best interests in mind, as their priority is their profit. We combat that by fighting for our clients to receive a settlement that reflects the impact their injuries have had on their careers, relationships, and quality of life. You can trust us to go above and beyond to secure the settlement you deserve. 

Contact Osborne & Francis for a Free Consultation

If you have sustained a serious injury in a workplace accident, medical malpractice incident, or car accident, as a result of using a defective drug or product, or in another type of accident, you may be burdened with medical expenses and lost wages. You should not be responsible for the financial and non-economic costs that result from another party’s negligence.

The experienced personal injury attorneys of Osborne & Francis can help you recover the costs of your damages. We will work tirelessly to negotiate a settlement that recognizes the value of what you have lost, even if that means escalating your claim to trial.

Don’t risk not receiving the compensation you deserve. Reach out to a trustworthy advocate at Osborne & Francis to discuss your claim today. You can schedule a free consultation with our team by giving us a call at (561) 293-2600 or contacting our Orlando or Boca Raton offices.

J. Davis

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“I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer/ firm — everything was done professionally exactly how I wanted. Due to COVID my personal attorney Mr. Garcia was still able to make things work in a timely manner and he never made me feel like he wasn’t working. Overall I’m happy with how my case turned out and I would recommend him and this law firm to anyone. 100% satisfied.”

Erica F.

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"Best personal injury attorney around, I could not be happier! I was seriously injured in a car accident and Osborne and Francis helped me through the entire process. I was blown away by how knowledgeable the staff and attorneys are at this incredible law firm. I would not hesitate to recommend this law firm to friends and family!"

E. Holland

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Dennis and the other Osborne & Francis staff were amazing! Our case was HUGE and required tender loving care. Everyone on our case did their part by putting all the puzzle pieces together. We were given step by step updates and put at ease when our nerves got the best of us. For every inquiry we made we received a timely response...You are appreciated!

C. Smith

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“I am so thankful for EVERYONE, the entire staff at Osborne & Francis Law, for mentoring me through the mediation process with my hip replacement failures. I didn't realize how MUCH pressure they relieved me of by helping me deal with the reality of this traumatic time in my life, as it was OVER so quickly with a positive result. My family is grateful to have their mom HAPPY & FOCUSED on the future, rather than worrying over what happened in the past! FAST FORWARD, we are LIVING LIFE to the fullest once again!”

Alfred

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Quick and fair resolution to a unique case. On advice of my own attorney, I engaged Joseph Osborne of Osborne & Francis of Boca Raton, FL. Mr. Osborne had considerable experience in cases such as mine and the results showed that. Mr. Osborne and his staff were very helpful, kept me up to date, and listened to my input. The settlement was very fair as far as I am concerned.

T. Andrews

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“Attorneys Greg Francis and Ryan Fletcher at Osborne & Francis Law Firm represented me in my personal injury case.The defendant drew a line in the sand and was adamant on a settlement amount I was almost willing to accept. After the dust settled and the smoke cleared, we settled for 3 times that amount!!! When they say ‘Real Tough Lawyers,’ they mean it.”

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