Have you recently been injured in a car accident? Was the accident somebody else's fault but you still can't get insurance to cover your medical bills? While you might hope that getting compensation for your pain and suffering would be easy, this isn't always the case. Sometimes, you have to actually file a lawsuit to receive any money at all. In order to have the best chance of succeeding, you're going to have to hire an attorney. To find the right attorney for your needs, here are some questions that you should ask before choosing one:

What else needs to be done to file a case? When you arrive at the office of an auto accident attorney, you should bring with you as much relevant documentation as you can. This includes police reports, doctor statements, and anything else that you think might support your case. However, the attorney may want more information, such as locating witnesses to the accident and getting their statements. The attorney will tell you how long these additional steps will take before your case can be filed with the court. This additional time can be frustrating but can help strengthen your case and make it more likely that you'll get a higher settlement.

How much do you charge? Not all attorneys are the same. In some instances, an auto accident attorney will only take a certain percentage of whatever settlement you finally receive. Other attorneys will still charge you some fees no matter what the outcome. In addition, the percentage taken can vary between different law offices. Make sure that you know exactly what you'll be expected to pay before you agree to hire any attorney. You certainly don't want to be stuck with a large bill if, for some reason, the case isn't decided in your favor.

How long do cases like this take? If you have a very strong case, you may receive a reasonable settlement offer almost immediately. In other instances, you'll have to go all the way to the end of a trial to receive any awards at all. An experienced auto accident attorney can give you an estimate of how long your case might take based on his or her knowledge of past cases and the current court load. Depending on where you live, it could take months before you see the inside of a courtroom. This is a common occurrence and there's little that can be done to speed the process along.