5 Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

1. Do You Have a Lot of Experience?

When it comes to experience, you first need to ask about their general experience as a lawyer. How many years have they been practicing? How long has the firm been in business?

That's not to say that a new lawyer can't be good at what they do but if you want the best result, you should find a lawyer that has some mileage. That ensures they've gotten to know the law in practice as well as in theory and are confident in what they do.

Once you've established that, you should ask about their experience with cases specifically like yours. An attorney could be great at what they do but have very little experience with car accidents (or any specific type of personal injury case you're looking for help with).

No personal injury lawyer will be offended by you asking about past cases, as they'll understand you need to find the best chance of success.

2. What's the Best Way to Communicate With You?

Attorneys might have different preferred methods of communication and different timeframes in which they respond. While asking about their communication is one of the vital attorney questions, you should also pay attention to just how these communication methods work.

For example, if they say email is the best way to reach them, keep an eye on it. Do they respond in a timely manner when you said an email or are you left sending follow ups for days on end before you finally get a response to a simple question?

While the best lawyers are usually busy, they should find time to get back to you or they have may too much on their plate to give your case the attention it deserves. You can also ask about the timeframes of responses.

3. Are You Local to the Area?

With the rise of virtual meetings being extremely prevalent over the past few years, more and more people are choosing to meet over Zoom and other video platforms — which might open you up to a wider range of attorneys. However, they should have specific areas that they cover and you need to make sure they're actually local to your case.



The reason for this is that the attorney will know the courts well that your case is being handled in and that could make all the difference. They'll know what tends to go well and what doesn't, as well as the likely outcome — which can vary in different parts of the country, state, and even county.

4. What and How Do You Charge?

A personal injury lawsuit will likely cost money, and attorneys aren't cheap. You need to make sure yours is within your budget before you go ahead.

Ask how they charge. Do they have an hourly rate, a flat fee, or something else? What do they expect the total payment to come to, if there's a ballpark?

While bearing this in mind, it's also important not to jump to the cheapest attorney without considering the other factors though. The cheapest attorney may be that way for a reason.

Do they have a lot of losses behind them and are struggling for clients? Do they have less experience than others in your area?

Yes, it's important to make sure you can afford them — but losing the case might cost you a whole lot more, so be careful. It's also a good idea to look for lawyers that allow free consultations or case evaluations so you don't lose money while you're still deciding on who to hire.

5. What Are the Potential Outcomes?

Although there's no way the attorney can predict with any certainty how this case will go, they should have an idea of the potential outcomes. Ask what they expect from the case, both the best-case and worst-case scenarios.

There's another reason to ask this question though. By asking about how they expect the case to go and what could happen, you'll be able to gauge their faith in the case and in you. You want a lawyer who actually believes in you and is striving to get you the best possible outcome.

If a lawyer feels bored with your case, judgmental, or doesn't seem confident in getting you the best possible result, then you should go and find another lawyer who believes in you.

Ask These Questions to Find the Best Personal Injury Attorney

While you might be hesitant to ask a personal injury attorney a lot of questions in case it feels invasive, you should know that they're used to this and any good lawyer understands you're trying to get the best possible outcome. Make these inquiries and ask any other questions that you feel are relevant to the situation. You won't regret it.

Looking for a great personal injury lawyer in Tampa or Miami? The experienced team at Pablo G. Martinez Law Firm are here to help. Contact us today to set up a consultation and let's see what we can do for you.