When it comes to getting fair compensation for your injuries, it all boils down to choosing the best personal injury lawyers in Midland, Texas to represent you. It could be the make or break for your case, so you need to approach the selection process with caution.
Some lawyers don’t advertise while others have their faces plastered on every billboard in town. Some work out of small offices downtown while others prefer sleek decked-out offices in high-rise buildings.
Some attorneys limit their area of practice to car accident injuries while others prefer to work on medical malpractice cases only. With so many lawyers to choose from, the decision can be overwhelming, especially if your quality of life after the injury depends on it.
So, how do you choose the right one? This article explores some fundamental questions you need to ask every personal injury lawyers in Midland to know if they are right for you.
Questions to Ask Lawyers – Midland TX
The best time to ask questions relating to your case is during the initial visit to the attorney’s office. Most lawyers in Odessa, TX, and Midland, TX don’t charge for the first consultation.
So, it’s a great opportunity to speak to several lawyers and explore which firm will be the right fit for your case. Here are some of the questions you should ask:
1. Are you a board-certified Midland personal injury lawyer?
While board certification doesn’t equate to performance, you need to be sure that you are working with an expert. A board-certified personal injury lawyer – Odessa or Midland tells you that they went through the rigorous state bar examination and qualifies an expert in trial law.
2. On average, how many cases do you handle that go to trial?
Statistically, only about 3% of personal injury cases go to trial. All the rest are usually settled out of court. The number of trials an attorney has handled in the past matters in the context of the nature of the injuries you sustained in your accident.
Some attorneys specialize in complex multi-million-dollar lawsuits that are often battled out in court. Midland medical malpractice lawyers, for instance, will usually have a higher number of trial cases under their belt than say, a car accident lawyer in Odessa TX.
Slip and fall claims, and car accident cases are more likely to be settled out of court if the victim is badly injured. Insurance companies would rather not risk putting up a severely injured victim in front of a sympathetic jury and risk paying out millions of dollars in settlement. So, they’ll usually offer up an attractive settlement to avoid going to trial.
3. How often do you get “policy limits” from insurance companies?
If you are not badly injured, but your insurance company has made you a lowball offer, this is an important question you need to ask your attorney. Their success rate in getting the maximum amount available on an insurance policy is an indication that they are likely to get you the same results in your claim.
4. How many cases are you currently handling?
A law firm’s caseload is a good indicator of whether they’ll be able to accord your case the attention it deserves. You need to find out how many cases they currently have and how many each attorney is handling.
You also need to ask what level of administrative support they have. Sole practitioners, for instance, usually handle small cases that revolve around family law, and preparing wills. They might even take on the occasional car accident claim.
However, they usually handle all cases themselves with little to no administrative support. If you have a straightforward claim and would rather not deal with the insurance company directly, sole practitioners are a great alternative. Make sure that they aren’t handling too many cases, though.
In medium-sized firms, a less experienced attorney working under the supervision of the senior counsel will most likely handle your case. They have a higher level of administrative support. That way, attorneys can take on more cases.
Other law practices like that of an oilfield injury lawyer or a product liability attorney are highly specialized. Their caseload will usually be lighter since each case is time-consuming and requires a lot of input.
5. If you take on my case and can’t reach a settlement, will you go to trial?
When choosing a lawyer to represent you, they should do everything in their power to get you the compensation you deserve. Find out if they have the resources and willingness to take your case to trial if they can’t settle.
Also, find out if they have the expertise required to handle appellate court cases. This will come in handy in case the insurance company decides to appeal the court ruling.
6. Will you communicate every offer made by the other party?
You need to be sure that your attorney will communicate every offer that the insurance company or the at-fault party makes. They obligated to keep you in the loop at all times and not make any decisions on your behalf before consulting you.
7. How much will your attorney fees cost?
Before you retain an attorney, you need to establish how they get paid. Be clear on who’s responsible for footing the administrative costs like court filing expenses, printer costs, photocopy charges, deposition costs, etc.
Most personal injury lawyers are paid on a contingency basis. This means that they calculate their fees as a percentage of the total damages they recover on your behalf. If they lose the case, you won’t owe them any money.
Explore Your Options
Choosing the best personal injury attorney is a laborious task. However, it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make if you hope to receive fair compensation.
Whether you’re choosing an Odessa oilfield accident lawyer to recover damages from a huge multinational corporation or a car accident lawyer to get you the best settlement from your insurance company, one thing is for sure. You need to ask the right questions to ensure that the attorney you settle for will be able to meet all your expectations.
If you have more legal questions, you can also chat online with a Laws101.com attorney where you’ll be instantly connected to a lawyer who can give you legal guidance on your specific case or question.