Hobbsr: Top Personal Injury Legal Questions From FindLaw Answers

Friday, May 8, 2015

Top Personal Injury Legal Questions From FindLaw Answers

You've got questions... we've got answers. If you have not yet asked or answered a question in FindLaw's Answers community, what are you waiting for? This amazing free resource supports a dynamic community of legal consumers and attorneys helping each other out. Simple as that.

We see a lot of great questions in our Answers community every day. Here's a look at some recent questions relating to injuries, accident, and torts from our FindLaw Answers boards:

After we broke up, my ex started posting vicious (and false!) rumors about me all over Facebook and Twitter. I've asked her to take them down, but she refuses. What do I do?

While the rise of social media has been great in promoting discussion and the spread of information and ideas, it has also created an environment that can quickly foster online bullying and defamation. If the poster's ex was indeed posting statements that were untrue, the poster may have an online defamation case.

An experienced attorney would be able to advise the poster on the best way to pursue his or her case. Since defamation suits require that the false statements be "published," it's generally a good idea to preserve evidence of the comments before they are deleted. This can be done by:

Taking a screenshot of the comment and the entire computer screen;

Printing a hard copy of the comment with the time, date and web address; and

Taking a photo of the comment on the computer screen with a digital camera or web phone.

And of course, make sure that you stop all communication with your ex online and in the physical world until you get in touch with an attorney.

I'm going to meet with an attorney about an injury I recently suffered. I know it's probably best to work with an attorney since I have no idea where to even start... But how do I make sure this is the right attorney for me?

This poster asks an extremely good question. Personal injury cases can be quite complicated when it comes to meeting strict deadlines, following complicated court rules and procedures, and finding the right experts to support the individual facts of a case. So in general, it's a good idea to have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side to take care of these issues for you. But given the huge responsibility you're handing over to your attorney, it's no wonder this poster wants to make sure his or her attorney is the right one for the case.

When it comes to hiring a personal injury attorney, there are several important factors to consider, including the attorney's experience, reputation, and area of specialty. These are all areas you can look into before meeting with (or even contacting) the attorney. Research the lawyer by asking for references and checking the state bar to make sure he or she hasn't had any prior disciplinary issues.

Once you're at your meeting, make sure to ask about the lawyer's fees. Most personal injury attorneys take cases on a contingency basis - meaning they only collect a fee if you win your case. There are some other expenses, however, the attorney may require you pay yourself (e.g. medical exam expenses). Perhaps, most importantly, you'll want to make sure that you feel comfortable speaking openly with your attorney.

Got a question or some advice to share? Be sure to stop by Answers today and check it our for yourself!

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