About Firm
Frequently Asked Questions
- There are so many lawyers. How do I know Eidelman Crossley is the right firm?
- What do I need to know about my auto/personal injury case before contacting Eidelman Crossley?
- Should I speak to an Insurance Adjuster?
- How long do I have to bring a claim?
- Should I choose Full Tort or Limited Tort?
- What do I need to know about my medical malpractice case before contacting Eidelman Crossley?
- What can I expect from my first appointment with your firm?
- Will I need to pay any money to get started?
- When my personal injury case is pending, who pays the out-of-pocket expenses?
- Will you win my case?
- Why do I need another attorney if I have an attorney who handles my family matters?
- Should I accept a settlement or go to trial?
There are so many lawyers. How do I know Eidelman Crossley is the right firm?
You should research the firm before you consider hiring one of the attorneys. Look for information regarding the lawyers’ education, training and experience with cases similar to yours. Ed Eidelman and Mark Crossley have a combined 42 years of experience in their areas of practice. When you meet us, there’s no pressure. Make sure we answer all your questions. Review the fee contract in detail. Then decide.
What do I need to know about my “auto accident”/ “slip and fall” or other personal injury case before contacting your firm?
We spend much of our time obtaining information from clients during the initial office meeting. However, You should be prepared on the phone or in an email to tell us when and where the accident occurred. Briefly describe how it happened and whether it was investigated by the police, or reported to a store manager or the like. If its an auto accident its helpful to know whether you have “full tort” or “limited tort”. We will then tell you what to bring to the initial meeting if you have it. And remember, if you’re incapacitated, we can come to meet you; at home or in the hospital.
Should I speak to an Insurance Adjuster?
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Should I choose Full Tort or Limited Tort?
What do I need to know about my medical malpractice case before contacting Eidelman Crossley?
The most important issues to discuss on the phone or in an email are timing and damages. Medical malpractice suits must be brought within two years of the date you should reasonably have suspected that a doctor or hospital did something wrong. Be prepared to explain how you found out. Often patients continue treating with the target doctor who may tell them everything is o.k. Sometimes it’s a second doctor who may raise concerns. However, if this is a Wrongful Death case; that is a family member or loved one died from what you believe was malpractice, you only have two years from the date of death to bring suit. Malpractice cases need a lot of lead-time for us to investigate and obtain opinions. So, if you’re not sure, call; for your own peace of mind.
Just as important, do you have substantial damages. Lots of medical errors lead to a few weeks or months of unnecessary pain and even an additional procedure to correct a mistake. Because malpractice cases are difficult and expensive, there must be substantial damages before considering a suit. We’ll be happy to tell you whether you should come in for a meeting.
What can I expect from my first appointment with your firm?
You will meet with one or more of our experienced attorneys at the time of your first appointment with our firm. Our attorneys and staff are professional and courteous, and we do our best to make you feel at ease. We allow plenty of time to meet with you and discuss your potential claim. We will discuss the facts of your case and explain the laws as they might apply to your case.
For personal injury cases,we need to know how the collision or accident happened. If you have a police incident number or accident report, bring it. Also bring your own insurance policies, especially the “declarations sheet” which lists coverages. We need as much detail as you can provide about any injuries suffered or treatment obtained.
For medical malpractice, we will want your reasons for why you think there was an error committed. A list of treating doctors , hospitals and places where you obtained diagnostic tests is very helpful. Once we have the necessary information, we can make informed decisions about the next steps to take.
Will I need to pay any money to get started?
We handle all injury and malpractice cases on a contingent fee basis, which means we do not get paid unless you make a recovery. We explain the full details of the fee and cost agreement you have with our firm before we begin representing you on your claim.
When my personal injury case is pending, who pays the out-of-pocket expenses?
We represent most of our personal injury clients on a contingent fee basis. In most instances, we advance the money for expenses incurred during our representation while a case is pending. In a successful case, we are reimbursed our expenses out of the client’s portion of the recovery. In most instances, if there is no recovery, we will not be reimbursed. You will owe nothing. As a result, we are highly motivated to obtain a successful result for you.
Our clients depend on our experience and knowledge of personal injury and medical malpractice cases. The vast majority of our cases are handled to a successful conclusion. However, no law firm can make guarantees on any claim or lawsuit.
Why do I need another attorney if I have an attorney who handles my family matters?
Personal injury cases usually involve parties who are represented by insurance adjusters and lawyers hired by insurance companies. These people strive to minimize the insurance companies' losses by aggressively defending claims. Medical malpractice claims involve large commitments of time, money and expertise. We only handle litigation claims. We are trial lawyers. There are lots of good lawyers for real estate, wills, contracts and other family and business matters. But you should seriously consider whether they have the experience to prosecute these highly complex personal injury or malpractice claims.
Should I accept a settlement or go to trial?
Accepting a settlement offer can be a difficult decision. We always present you with the pros and cons of settling your case before trial. We provide you with information regarding the fairness of the settlement offer, but the final decision is always yours. Most of our auto and personal injury cases settle after several months of investigation, presentation of claims and negotiation. Some may go to mediation. Some must go to trial or arbitration.
Medical malpractice cases usually do not settle, if at all until close to the time of trial, when all of the depositions are done and all of the expert reports have been exchanged.
At Eidelman Crossley, we find the best way to settle cases is to prepare them as if we were going to trial. We will never try to pressure you into a “quick” or “cheap” settlement.
