7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney is the best way to ensure you receive the representation you deserve after experiencing a personal injury due to someone else’s negligence.

Insurance companies will take every opportunity they can to deny your claim or resolve for less than your case is worth. It’s important to have a personal injury lawyer by your side to help you avoid any costly missteps.

But how can you find a qualified attorney to handle your personal injury claim?

Before hiring a personal injury lawyer, it’s important to ask the right questions to find the best person to represent you.

Here are 7 questions to ask before you hire a personal injury attorney.

7 Questions to Ask Your Personal Injury Attorney

Having the right representation in your corner can be the difference between winning or losing your personal injury case. Here are the questions you should ask to make sure you hire the right attorney for the job.

1. What are your rates?

Typically, personal injury attorneys work on contingency — meaning, you don’t pay anything unless you win your case and receive a settlement.

If you do win your case, the attorney will then be paid a percentage of the settlement figure. The contingency fee percentage will vary depending on the firm and the when it settles during the process. Some lawyers may also charge additional fees, so it’s important to be clear about how an attorney’s billing practices before you choose to hire them.

2. What types of personal injury cases do you normally handle?

‘Personal injury’ is a rather broad term that can include a variety of different types of accidents, including:

• Slip and falls
• Car accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Wrongful death
• Truck accidents
• And more

Ideally, you want to work with a personal injury attorney that has handled and won cases like yours before as they are more likely to know what it takes to build a strong case on your behalf. If the attorney you are consulting with hasn’t handled a case like yours before, it might be in your best interest to explore other options.

3. Do you expect my case to go to trial?

Of course, an attorney can’t know for sure whether or not your case will be taken to trial, but it’s always best to prepare as if you expect your case to make it to court. Preparing for trial will ensure that you gather as much information to support your case as possible, which can tip settlement negotiations in your favor.

Be cautious of attorneys that tell you they expect to settle early as this may indicate that their firm is not equipped to march towards trial if necessary.

4. How many cases have you won?

If you do expect to go to court, you’re going to want an attorney with a proven track record of winning cases. An experienced lawyer will typically be able to provide evidence of their success, including general information regarding cases they won that are similar to yours.

5. Who will handle my claim?

Make sure to ask who specifically will be handling your case. Law firms often appoint senior partners to handle interviews and consultations in order to give potential clients more confidence in their capabilities.

However, in many cases, this is just for optics, and your case may be delegated to someone else. This isn’t to say that the other associates aren’t qualified, but it’s always in your best interest to speak directly to the person that will be in control of your claim.

6. How much should I settle for?

Personal injury attorneys won’t be able to give you an exact number, as they shouldn’t. However, they should be able to give you rough estimate of what success looks like given their experience on cases like yours in the past. However, all evaluations are dependent on each individual case’s unique circumstances.

Be cautious of attorneys that guarantee settlement figures, give you unrealistic estimates, or give estimations that don’t line up with those you received from other lawyers.

7. How long should it take to resolve my case?

No case is one in the same as each have their own unique circumstances, however, your lawyer should be able to give you a rough timeline for your personal injury case. While you don’t want your attorney to rush your case, you want to make sure they will do what it takes to resolve your claim as quickly as possible so that you can continue on with your recovery.

Be cautious if an attorney guarantees a settlement timeframe.

Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer

The right personal injury attorney can make all the difference when it comes to getting the compensation you deserve after a personal injury incident.

At B|B Law Group, our experienced personal injury lawyers are dedicated to giving our clients the best representation to get our clients the results they deserve.

Contact us today to interview with one of our attorneys and learn more about our team and our process.