16 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Finding legal representation is crucial if you’ve been involved in a catastrophic accident. As a victim, it is normal to have multiple questions to ask a lawyer about your case. The right personal injury attorney will help you get the justice and compensation you deserve. 

But, with thousands of attorneys vying for your attention, how do you know who to hire?

If you want to learn how to choose a good personal injury lawyer, you’ve come to the right place. 

In this blog, we’ll list all the important questions you must ask when hiring an attorney.

How to Find A Good Personal Injury Lawyer

Knowing where to find a good attorney is challenging, especially if it’s your first time. With this in mind, we’ve made a list of what questions you have to ask a personal injury lawyer about your case:

What Are Your Rates?

The first question you need to ask your prospective attorney concerns their rates. Most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t have to pay any fee until you get compensated in the lawsuit. 

If you receive an award of compensation for the damages you’ve suffered, your personal injury lawyer will take a percentage of it as payment. The range for this fee typically ranges between 25% to 40%. 

Now, you need to remember that contingency fees do not reflect a lawyer’s true ability. You may be able to get a lower percentage from another attorney, but there’s no guarantee that they’re capable of handling your case. 

How Long Have You Been Practicing Law?

Experience should be another important concern for you. You want to ensure the lawyer you’ll hire is experienced enough for sensitive cases like yours. 

When talking with a prospective attorney, don’t be afraid to be direct. Ask them how many years they have been practicing law. While you’re on the subject of experience, ask them how many personal injury cases they have taken.

How Many Personal Injury Cases Have You Handled?

Just because an attorney has been practicing for some time doesn’t mean they have enough experience with cases like yours. You want to ensure that the lawyer you hire has handled several personal injury cases. 

We also recommend making the follow-up question of how many of them have gone to trial.

Did Any of the Personal Injury Cases You’ve Handled Go to Trial?

Most cases of this nature are settled outside of court. Despite this, it’s still important to ensure your lawyer has tried some of the personal injury cases they handled in the past. 

It’s common for most people to think all attorneys know how to try a case. In reality, some lawyers have never experienced going to trial. 

How Many Successful Verdicts Have You Won?

Staying on the topic of cases that have gone to trial, you want to ask how many of them ended with a successful verdict. You want to hire someone willing to go to great lengths to win your case. 

Asking them how many successful verdicts they have won is a great way to establish this. This question should also tell you about their tactics in some of their past cases.

How Many Cases Do You Handle at a Time?

Some lawyers take on so many cases that it takes them months to file a lawsuit. However, it’s important to note that California has a statute of limitations of two years for personal injury cases. 

Once that period ends, you’ll lose the right to press charges against the at-fault party. 

With this in mind, you must hire a lawyer to help you file your case well before your statute of limitation ends. 

This question also allows you to determine whether your case will be given the attention and care it deserves. 

How Do You Keep Your Clients Informed on the Progress of Your Case?

Though it seems ridiculous to ask for daily updates from your lawyer, it’s still important for you to know how they plan to keep you informed on your case’s progress. 

This way, you can guarantee that you won’t be left in the dark as your lawsuit goes through the judicial system. 

Who’s Your Contact Person Whenever a Client Has an Important Question?

This question will also help you gauge your lawyer’s customer service. It would be best to have someone you can contact if you have any important questions regarding your case.  

Do You Think I Have a Good Case? Why?

Now that you’ve asked some of the preliminary questions regarding how they handle their cases, it’s time you get your case evaluated. 

Ask your prospective attorney if they think you have a good case and why. They don’t have to give you a detailed answer, but they should be able to explain why they think you have a good chance at compensation. 

What Are the Weak Points of My Case?

Regardless of how strong a case is, there’s always a weak point that the defendant can use against you. Your attorney should be able to tell you how they can strengthen the weak points of your case using their experience. 

How Much Do You Think Is the Worth of My Claim?

At this point, your personal injury lawyer should be able to give you a general range of how much compensation you’re entitled to. However, it’s worth noting that this number will change as your case progresses.

Do You Think the Insurance Company Will Settle My Case?

As mentioned earlier, many personal injury cases are settled out of court. Most insurance companies will try to intimidate you and offer you a low settlement amount, hoping the case will be easily resolved. 

So, it’s important that your attorney gives you insight into how settlements work and their action plan when negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurance providers. 

If My Case Doesn’t Settle, Will You Take It to Trial?

You want to ensure that the attorney you hire will take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to settle or their offer is too low. This signifies that they are true advocates of personal injury victims. 

Will Your Rates Change if My Case Goes to Trial?

It would be best to ensure your lawyer’s fees will not change if your case goes to trial. This way, you can avoid abrupt expenses. 

How Long Will It Take To Resolve My Case?

There’s no definite timeline for lawsuits like yours. It all depends on factors beyond your control, like the nature of your case, the court calendar, and the willingness of the other party to settle the case. 

You want to ensure that your prospective lawyer will commit to closing your case as quickly as possible. 

What’s My Role in the Lawsuit?

You should also ask what your lawyer expects of you if your case goes to trial. Some plaintiffs want to be present in depositions and other important conferences related to their cases. 

If you want to participate in the litigation actively, it’s best to get a confirmation from your attorney. Some lawyers ask their clients to stay on the sidelines and focus on their healing while they take care of their cases. 

Choose A Good Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you’re looking for legal representation in California, look no further than Adamson Ahdoot.

Adamson Ahdoot is a full-service litigation firm. Our team has over 100 years of combined legal experience. In our team, you can find good personal injury lawyers who will help you every step of the way. 

They will be your guiding light during this difficult time in your life. Our attorneys will assist you, from gathering evidence to negotiating your claim.

We proudly serve a diverse personal injury clientele and offer free English and Spanish consultations. Contact us to ask questions to our lawyers about your case. Call us at (800) 310-1606 and start building a robust claim today.