Important Questions to Ask Your Personal Injury Attorney

When you’ve been injured and want to file a personal injury claim, having the right attorney is important. A good attorney can increase your odds of success.

How can you make sure you choose a personal injury lawyer that’s right for you? By asking questions!

Today, we’re listing the top 10 most important questions to ask any prospective lawyer, before you hire them. Keep reading to learn what to ask your personal injury lawyer.

#1 Do I have a case? What are my odds?

Before hiring a personal injury lawyer, you’ll want to make sure you have a case. Ask the lawyer what your odds of success are. Of course, no lawyer can predict the future, but an experienced attorney can tell you if you have a good case. You don’t want to waste your time on false promises!

#2 How long have you been practicing personal injury law?

When it comes to the law, experience matters. Knowledge and skill both come from experience gained over years of working in law. Not all attorneys have the same amount or type of experience. Some lawyers have only been practicing a few years; others, for decades. Some lawyers have practiced in certain fields for longer than others.

Generally, you’ll want to find a lawyer that has spent significant time practicing personal injury law, so they know the ins and outs of the law related to your case.

#3 How much experience do you have with cases like mine?

Personal injury law is a field that encompasses a number of different types of claims—from car, truck, and motorcycle accidents; to premises liability; to defective products; to dog bites; to wrongful death; and more!

Asking this specific question helps you determine if the lawyer has worked on—and therefore has experience with—cases similar to yours.

#4 What is your fee? What expenses am I responsible for?

Before hiring a personal injury lawyer, ask how their fees work.

Most personal injury lawyers work on a “contingency fee” model. This means that they are only paid if they win your case. In a contingency fee model, your lawyer would take a percentage of the compensation you’re awarded from your claim. In addition, it’s also important to ask about expenses. Are you responsible for paying expenses for your case—like court filing fees, document fees, etc.—up front?

Make sure you understand your attorney’s fee structure and your responsibilities for payment.

#5 Who will handle my case?

Most people assume the attorney they’re speaking with will be the person handling their claim. However, that’s not always the case. Some attorneys delegate tasks to younger, more inexperienced members of their firm. Other attorneys aren’t comfortable taking cases to trial.

Ask your personal injury lawyer if they will be handling your case from start to finish.

#6 How often will I hear from you?

Good communication is vital in an attorney-client relationship. It can be incredibly frustrating to need to talk to your personal injury lawyer, yet unable to get a hold of them. You don’t want a lawyer who rarely updates you or seems practically unreachable.

That’s why it’s important to ask this question in advance. You should know how often you can expect to meet with your lawyer about your case and how often you can expect to receive updates.

You should also know if you will ever hear from anyone else in the firm, like a paralegal or assistant. Finally, you’ll need to know what will happen if there’s an emergency: can you get in contact with someone right away?

#7 What can I expect from the process?

An experienced, knowledgeable personal injury lawyer should be able to walk you through the process—from investigating and gathering evidence, to filing the claim, to negotiations, to settlement or litigation (going to trial). You should feel confident that you know what happens next and what to expect from the process.

#8 How long could my case take?

The length of time it takes to resolve a case varies. However, it’s a good idea to ask a personal injury lawyer this question. The attorney should be able to give you an idea of how long the process can take, based on previous cases they’ve handled.

#9 What is my claim worth?

Every claim is different—and this extends to how much a case is worth. However, at the very least, an attorney should be able to provide you with a spectrum and explain how different factors impact compensation.

#10 Do you have reviews? What is your track record?

You don’t have to take the attorney’s word for it: find out what former clients have to say about their experience!

Ask the personal injury lawyer if they have reviews or testimonials. Good personal injury lawyers will be happy to point you toward reviews from former clients. (If the attorney doesn’t want you to read what past clients had to say, that’s a red flag!)

We’re Here for You

If you need help with a personal injury claim, we’re here for you. The lawyers at Casper & Casper have practiced personal injury law for decades. We know the ins and outs of this field of law, and we use our extensive experience to serve our clients.

To talk to a personal injury lawyer at Casper & Casper, call us today. We’re happy to meet with you to answer your questions about your case and what we can do for you.