When bad accidents happen, knowing what questions to ask a personal injury lawyer will help you make sense of a confusing situation and get the financial assistance you deserve.
When an accident is the result of careless behavior and leads to personal injury and expenses, you might be entitled to compensation. Depending on the particulars of your accident and the people involved, having a personal injury lawyer by your side can be the difference between getting what you need and getting nothing.
During this process, even seemingly simple questions like, “How do I choose a personal injury lawyer?” and, “What do personal injury lawyers do?” can hold you back from selecting a qualified personal injury lawyer. To help you move forward and make the right choices, we’ve outlined a series of questions to ask a personal injury lawyer.
If you want additional prep materials for your personal injury lawyer interview, these free resources can also get you one step closer to finding the help you need:
Auto accidents cases:
Wrongful death + TBI (traumatic brain injury)
Question 1: Ask about reviews
Wondering, “What should I look for when hiring a personal injury lawyer?” Well, you look at ratings on movies, furniture, local handymen, and more — so why not review ratings on personal injury lawyers, too? Reviews can tell you how a personal injury lawyer went about helping (or hindering) their client’s case.
And of course, ratings can give you an overall look at how your Texas personal injury lawyer performs and how he or she is viewed within the professional community. But don’t just look at the reviews placed on their website by happy clients — check out peer reviews, as well. Sources such as Super Lawyers and Avvo.com can provide you with reviews submitted by other lawyers.
Question 2: Ask about financial resources
Next up on our personal injury lawyer interview questions: the issue of finances. Personal injury cases aren’t cheap. In fact, they almost always require some type of financial burden. If your lawyer doesn’t have the proper financial resources to take on your case, then you could be setting yourself up for failure. It’s important to find a lawyer who is financially equipped to take on case expenses.
Question 3: Ask about fees
Speaking of case expenses, don’t forget to ask your personal injury lawyer how they handle fees before, during, and after a case. Is their initial consultation free? (It should be.) Will they send you a bill if your case is lost? If you win, what percentage of your settlement will they take? How do they handle ongoing case expenses if the case is lost? Do they expect reimbursement for all expenses, only some, or none? If your finances are tight, these are some of the most important questions to ask a personal injury lawyer.
Question 4: Ask about referrals
Similar to peer reviews, it might be worth your while to ask the personal injury lawyer what percentage of his or her cases are referrals. Think of it this way — you would only get your friend a job at your work if you believe your friend will show up on time and do their work. This is because their performance could impact how your employer and coworkers feel about you. The same is true with referrals. One lawyer probably won’t recommend another lawyer unless they believe that the recommended lawyer is good at what they do.
Question 5: Ask about type of experience
When considering questions to ask a personal injury lawyer, do not forget to ask what types of cases the lawyer typically handles. This might seem like an odd question to ask a personal injury lawyer — they should handle personal injury cases, right? But what if you’re not actually speaking to a lawyer who handles personal injury cases on a daily basis? They might claim to know how to handle personal injury cases (which could be true to a certain degree); however, their expertise may only go so far.
Just like any facet of law, personal injury comes with its own set of unique rules, complexities, and know-how. If your lawyer isn’t completely versed in the world of personal injury, then your lawyer could potentially miss something that could help you later down the road.
On top of this, you need to ask your personal injury lawyer what types of personal injury cases they’ve dealt with in the past. Ask them to be specific, and check to see if they’ve handled any cases similar to yours. If they have and they’ve been successful, then you may have found yourself a good personal injury lawyer.
Question 6: Ask about years of experience
Don’t just stop at type of experience — drill down to years of experience, too. Even if they strictly deal with personal injury cases, what if they’ve only been doing it for a few years? Are you okay with that amount of experience or do you want someone with more experience? If you really want a seasoned attorney handling your personal injury case, then establishing an attorney’s years of experience will be a very critical piece of your interview.
Question 7: Ask who’s taking the case
If the law firm is large enough, the person you meet with during a consultation might not actually be the lawyer helping you with your personal injury case. Make sure you ask the person sitting down with you who will be assigned to your case. If it’s someone else, then it’s wise to meet with that person, as well.
Looking for a personal injury lawyer in Texas?
Have questions to ask a personal injury lawyer? Triple Board Certified Super Lawyer Mark Thiessen and his team have answers. Even if you’re still not sure if or why you need a personal injury attorney for your case, call us at (713) 864-9000 or contact us online to schedule a free personal injury case evaluation.
With decades of combined experience and plenty of victories to prove it, Thiessen Law Firm know how to fight to get you the compensation that you need and deserve.
Related Resources:
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- Workers’ Comp and Child Support
- Suing for Negligence in a Car Accident
- Drunk Passenger DWI’s: Are They Possible?
