16 Questions to Ask Personal Injury Lawyer Candidates
If you’ve requested a free consultation with a personal injury attorney, asking the right questions in this meeting can make the difference between hiring an attorney who can handle your case and one who can’t.
In this article, we provide 16 questions to ask a personal injury attorney before you hire them. Keep this list handy as you seek out the best legal representation for your case.
1. How Long Have You Practiced Personal Injury Law?
Your personal injury attorney should have experience representing injured people. Your case shouldn’t be their first. And if you have significant injuries, they should have enough experience to handle your case with expertise, tenacity, and empathy, even in the face of big insurance companies and other people that would take advantage of injured people.
The team at Will Adams Law Firm has been practicing personal injury law in the Greater Katy Area for over 25 years, so we’re ready to take on all types of cases.
2. What Types of Personal Injury Cases Do You Handle?
Your personal injury attorney should be skilled and experienced at handling your type of accident. When you’re speaking with an attorney about your options, they should be able to speak clearly, calmly, and precisely about your case and others they’ve handled. If the attorney hasn’t handled your type of case before, it’s a sign that you might want to consider finding someone else to represent you.
3. Does Your Law Firm Have a Track Record of Success?
The attorney you’re speaking with should have a track record of successful suits and settlements. They should be able to describe what typically happens in cases like yours, how they’ll handle challenges that come up, and ways they can support you throughout the process. If the attorney can’t confidently describe past success, (or how they’ll use that experience to build you a successful case) it’s a sign to consider hiring someone else.
4. Do You Offer a Free Initial Consultation?
It’s extremely rare for personal injury lawyers to charge for the initial consultation, and when they do, it’s a red flag. Case reviews and consultations are for you to meet the attorneys to see if you want to hire them, and for the lawyer to decide if they want to take your case. You should never have to pay for this, especially as you deal with a serious injury. If the firm asks you to, it’s a signal to stay away.
5. How Much Money Is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?
Several factors go into determining how much an injured person should demand from the at-fault party. While a personal injury lawyer can’t promise anything, they should be able to give you a sense of your claim’s value after an initial consultation. At that point, they can probably explain where they’d first look for compensation. If a candidate promises to secure a certain amount of money, that’s a red flag.
6. Do You Have any Accreditations that Set You Apart as a Personal Injury Attorney?
Personal injury firms exist throughout the state of Texas, and it’s not always clear what sets one potential lawyer apart from another. One way is to look for special awards, certifications, or accreditations.
Board certification is one of the most meaningful credentials in this field, as any legal professional holding it is dedicated to continuing education and representing personal injury cases at the highest level. At Will Adams Law Firm, we are proud to have a double board-certified trial lawyer serving local clients and the greater Katy area.
7. Who From Your Firm Will I Be Working With on My Case?
When you hire an attorney, you’ll likely also work with other members of their legal support team in addition to the attorney themselves. This isn’t a red flag, but the attorney should be upfront about who you’ll be working with when you ask.
8. How Would You Describe Your Relationship with Other Katy, Texas Lawyers?
A proven law firm will have established, friendly relationships with other local and regional firms. Even if they are technically competitors, most personal injury lawyers will, at some point, refer potential clients to other professionals in a better position to take the case. They don’t have to gush over other attorneys when they answer this question, but they shouldn’t be disparaging or disrespectful.
9. What Other Industry Experts Do You Work With During Personal Injury Cases?
Even the most experienced lawyer doesn’t know everything about car accidents or the injuries they cause. In order for an attorney to best present your case, they should connect with medical professionals, accident reconstructionists, and others who can offer insight into specific situations.
10. How Often Will I Receive Updates on My Personal Injury Case?
Your lawyer should keep you in the loop whenever things change with your case. Discuss the best ways to communicate, such as phone calls, email, and text, and learn if the firm will meet your needs. Also, don’t hesitate to ask the personal injury attorney questions as they arise during your case.
11. Will I Speak Directly to My Personal Injury Lawyer Throughout the Case?
Yours may not be the only licensed attorney at the firm, and some offices have paralegals and assistants seeing to certain aspects of their cases. Yet, when you work with a smaller firm, you’re more likely to hear directly from the person you selected to head up your case. At Will Adams Law Firm, we pride ourselves on being a small, family practice where clients can expect a lot of personalized attention.
12. Does My Personal Injury Case Present any Unique Challenges?
An experienced attorney has dealt with a range of unique challenges, and you may wonder if they see any in your case. Feel free to ask how the legal system, and the firm, will deal with specific challenges.
13. How Long it Will Take to Settle My Personal Injury Lawsuit?
There’s no formula for how long it will take to settle a personal injury lawsuit. It depends on the specific factors in your case, such as the severity of injuries, past and future medical expenses, and the limits of relevant insurance policies. The timeline will also depend on whether your case settles or goes to trial.
14. How Often Do Your Cases Go to Trial?
Just because you file a lawsuit, it doesn’t mean your case will end up in a court room. Most of the time, the parties come to an agreement (a settlement) without a judge and jury. However, every now and then, settlement negotiations break down, and the situation calls for a trial. Our team takes this very seriously and invites you to visit our results page to see roughly how many cases require a trial.
15. What Is Your Fee Structure?
Most personal injury lawyers are paid on a contingency fee basis. This means they only get paid if they win money for you on your behalf, either through a settlement or jury verdict. The contingency fee is typically around one-third of your settlement or verdict.
If a lawyer requires that you pay for their services, even if they don’t win for you, it’s a red flag.
16. Where Can I Read Reviews from Previous Clients?
During the process of hiring a personal injury firm, check out their website and online presence to find reviews from a range of sources. While the website isn’t likely to post bad reviews, you should be able to find a balanced selection when you add reviews from Google, Yelp, or Facebook.
When You Need Answers, Ask Will Adams Law Firm
Let us put our decades of experience to work for you. The team at Will Adams Law Firm is dedicated to helping injured people in our hometown of Katy, which has been our home for generations. We will be happy to discuss your case and answer any questions you may have about it or our firm.
To schedule a complimentary case evaluation, please call (281) 371-6345 or use the easy contact form on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!
The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.
