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What to Ask when Interviewing Texas Personal Injury Lawyers – A Checklist

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How to hire the right Texas accident attorney

How to see through the ads and ask the important questions in an interview

What actually makes one legal practice better than another in Texas?

If you’ve watched any afternoon television programs, you’re probably aware that a lot of law firms in Texas are vying for a chance to take on your personal injury case.

With so many options, the biggest issue you’re likely to confront is who to contact.

Let’s look at what to ask as you search for a personal injury lawyer to represent your interests in the state of Texas.

Narrow it down to 3-5 attorneys

There’s nothing wrong with starting out by a Google search to see what you come up with.

You can get a good sense of personal injury law firms from their websites, together with reviews on independent legal sites and directories.

Then, look for clues to the following questions.

Many of these you will not readily find published. That’s ok. Keep a pen and notepad nearby and jot down all the questions that come to mind as you sift through websites and profiles.

  1. Past client reviews
    Check independent directories to see what their past personal injury clients say
  2. Knowledge of your part of Texas
    Have they tried or settled similar cases in your city or county? Do they have an office near you?
  3. Who will be assigned to your case
    Make sure all the questions you ask are relevant to the specific lawyer assigned to your case. It may not be the person you are speaking with the first time.
  4. Experience with your type of case
    How many personal injury cases they have handled in Texas for your type of accident or injury? Do other lawyers refer cases to them?
  5. Overall experience and resources
    Firm age, size, experience, connections with doctors and expert witnesses relevant to your case. Awards and leadership roles in organizations can also be good indicators.
  6. Good judicial connections
    Find out if they participate in the local bar association and contribute to campaigns.
  7. Comfort with going to trial
    Find out how many of their cases go to trial and the success rate of those that do.
  8. Negotiation ability
    Ask what sort of settlements they have obtained (remember, 95% of personal injury cases are settled without trial)
  9. Your personal comfort with the lawyer
    Do you feel comfortable talking to them about explicit details of your case? Do they answer your questions to your satisfaction? Are they a good listener? Ask how and how often they will communicate with you about your case.
  10. Payment
    How do they expect to be paid? Are there any fees or terms that would change if the case goes to trial, for example? Are expenses billed separately? What about costs for expert witnesses and other resources that may be necessary?
  11. Timing
    Ask specifically when your lawsuit will be filed and how long they anticipate it will take. Make sure they do not have so many pending cases right now they can’t devote proper time to yours.
  12. Your expected role
    Ask the attorney what expectations they will have of you. There may be several things they will expect you to do, but some attorneys may not welcome extensive client involvement in a case.
  13. Past problems
    Has the attorney ever been censured or disciplined by any legal or ethics committees in the past?
  14. How disagreements are handled
    If you and the attorney disagree on accepting a settlement, for example, what happens?

List of questions/worksheet for interviewing personal injury lawyers after your accident

Download in PDF format

Call your top 3-5 personal injury lawyers. Yes, use the phone.

Next, you’re going to call to set up appointments with at least three personal injury attorneys within easy distance.

While many law firms will accept your questions and case description via a form on their website, it may not be the best way to get your case in front of the best personal injury lawyers for you.

Copying and pasting a paragraph about your situation may be an efficient way to get your questions out to dozens of firms to see if one “sticks”, but how do you know that those few who respond are the best ones for you?

Your web inquiry will likely need to be passed to the appropriate person and even receiving a response may take a lot of time. Sometimes inquiries fall through the cracks.

If one law firm responded when most others didn’t, it could be for any number of reasons. Perhaps even that they are desperate for new clients – which may or may not be a good thing.

Using the phone to speak with someone at the firm will give you an immediate sense of fit, also.

Prepare for your meeting

You’ll need to prepare for that appointment with all the documents you can provide and a complete description of your case.

See FindLaw’s rundown on what your meeting with an attorney will look like.

Print out and take along the checklist of questions we’ve provided above for each attorney you meet with.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

More resources

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leviticus Bennett says

    I like your tip to ask about the lawyer’s experience with your personal type of case. I think it’s also a good idea to do some online research beforehand. You can often find helpful reviews and ratings to assist in making a decision.

  2. Lisa Banks says

    Leviticus, thanks for the comment! I expect it may be a difficult time for many after an accident as time for online research may be in short supply, but I agree that it’s a good idea to research attorneys online as much as possible before shortlisting a few..

  3. Braden Bills says

    A friend of mine was recently injured in a car accident and he’s going to be going to court for it. It makes sense that he would want to get a good attorney! That way he can ensure that he has someone on his side. I’ll make sure that he looks for one who has experience with personal injury cases!

  4. Lisa Banks says

    Hi Braden, best of luck to your friend. Drop us a note back later to let us know how it goes and if he has any insights to add here about hiring a lawyer.

  8. Lisa Banks says

    Hi there, Jean, thanks for stopping by. This site is focused on personal injury law, but I realize occasionally clients have a need for another area of law expertise and it can be helpful to use the same lawyer they are familiar with. Best of luck!

  10. Derek Dewitt says

    I know that Google is usually the first place I turn to when looking for professional help. I can see why someone who needs a lawyer would want to check reviews online first. Finding someone who can represent you in court can be tricky but if you know their track record then it can give you some peace of mind.

  11. Jamie Butler says

    Great article and well presented – we use a similar process here in Vancouver (Canada) and recommend to our potential clients many of the same steps to ensure whomever they choose for their personal injury lawyer is a good fit for them, as it is not always the case for everyone. The point about being willing to go to court is an important one, especially for complex injury cases having trial experience is very important when dealing with a big insurance company like we have here (a monopoly) with ICBC.

  13. Becca Holton says

    I really like that suggestion to keep a pen and notepad nearby, so you can write down all your questions as you research. Personally, I’d probably put any questions I come up with on my phone. That way, those can be on hand and easier to access when I meet with an attorney.

  14. Lisa Banks says

    Hi Becca, I love the idea of keeping notes on your phone. You can use the form here as a guideline to come up with your questions and then speak them into your notes app, for example. Great idea!

  15. Raisa Delima says

    That’s a great tip to look at reviews from past clients when finding a personal injury lawyer. I will have to do that so that we can find the right one to help out my parents since they were in a car accident recently. Thanks for such a great article—it really helped us out!

  17. Amanda Drew says

    That sounds like a good idea to find out if lawyers will refer cases to them and how many cases similar to yours they’ve handled. I was at a four-way stop the other day, and it was my turn to go. Just as I got into the middle of the intersection, someone came barreling into me. It completely ruined my car, and I had to go to the hospital. I should find a good attorney to take my case and help me get the compensation I need.

  19. Derek Dewitt says

    My brother was recently involved in a car accident that left him badly injured, so he has been thinking about hiring a lawyer. I like that you suggest choosing a lawyer who has connections with doctors and expert witnesses. This sounds like a great way to get the medical help he needs and have better representation in court.

  21. Peter Cooper says

    This is a good article & gives a good point to start for people who have been injured in a car accident. However, not all victims get their due because unfortunately, they go to an incompetent lawyer. I would like to share my experience about The Law Offices of https://RoseKeith.ca who represented me in a personal injury case and the outcome was amazing. They took on my case after another law firm decided didn’t want to battle an ICBC Insurance Company. In fact, Rose Keith helped us obtain more than fair compensation. If anyone needs legal guidance I would highly recommend them.

  23. Taylor Bishop says

    Thanks for explaining some things to ask a personal injury attorney. I’m glad you explained you should learn if they participate in the local bar association. I’m kind of interested to learn more as to what this participation would entail.

  25. Lisa Vincent says

    Very Nice post!
    It was exceptionally helpful! I heartily impressed by your blog and learn more from your article, Thank you so mujch for sharing with us. keep doing awesome!

  27. Jan Winkel says

    Awesome article, it was exceptionally helpful! I simply began in this and I’m becoming more acquainted with it better! Cheers, keep doing awesome!

  29. Zoe Campos says

    Thank you for reminding me to check testimonials provided by previous clients first before hiring an attorney. We encountered an accident two days ago and since we’re confident that we can hold the other driver accountable, we’re thinking of filing a lawsuit against him. It might be better to look for a personal injury attorney first and see what should be our first step.

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