Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer

By Aghabegian & Associates on January 18, 2022

When hiring a personal injury attorney, it’s important to find the one that’s right for you. They must not only have the necessary experience and knowledge, but they must be someone you’re comfortable with, whom you can trust.

To determine whether a certain personal injury attorney is worth hiring, you may wish to ask a series of questions. In fact, we suggest treating all meetings and consultations as interviews, where you’re the interviewer and the attorney is the interviewee. Below are six questions you may wish to ask all potential attorneys:

1. What do you charge for your services? Most personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t have to pay unless they win your case. If they win your case, the attorney will take a percentage of the agreed-upon settlement (this can be anywhere between 25% and 40%). 
2. How long have you been practicing personal injury law? The key is finding a personal injury attorney who has several years of experience trying personal injury cases just like yours. Our advice? Be as direct as possible. Ask them the number of cases they’ve tried like yours, the number of years they’ve worked in personal injury law, and their success rate. 
3. How much time can you devote to my case? It’s not uncommon for attorneys to have several cases on the go. However, if they are representing so many clients that they aren’t going to be able to devote much time to you and your case, it might be a red flag. Be open and honest from the get-go about how important it is that they devote considerable time to your case. 
4. Will my case go to trial? What is your success rate at trial? While many personal injury cases are settled out of court, any reputable attorney will prepare the case as if it’s going to trial. Ask about their success rate at trial to ensure they have won several cases before a jury in the past. 
5. What issues do you foresee arising with my case? Difficulties rise in almost every lawsuit. Therefore, if an attorney does not raise any possible issues and instead feeds you some line about “smooth sailing,” it’s likely a red flag. In contrast, a reliable attorney will be honest with you about the complications that may arise. 
6. How and when will you provide me with updates on my case? Communication is key and finding an attorney whose communication style matches yours is critical. If you want to be kept in the loop at every turn, find an attorney who is responsive to emails and will always pick up the phone when you call.

Personal Injury Attorney Experience

Years of experience and a proven track record are critical when choosing a personal injury attorney to represent you. We recommend finding an attorney with impeccable credentials who has represented clients on similar personal injury cases in the past. Given how all-encompassing personal injury law is, you want to make sure that your attorney has experience filing personal injury claims relating to your specific incident. For example, if you were in a slip and fall accident, ask your prospective attorney how many slip and fall cases they’ve handled – and won. Alternatively, you may wish to hire an attorney that specializes in one type of personal injury law. You’ll find all kinds of personal injury attorneys out there, from auto accident attorneys and medical malpractice attorneys to dog bite attorneys, defective product attorneys, and defamation attorneys. Ultimately, finding a personal injury attorney with adequate experience will likely give you the best chance of winning your lawsuit. Here at AAESQ Law, our team of expert personal injury attorneys has over 40 years of combined experience and has helped secure over $125 million in damages on behalf of our deserving clients.

Fees & Costs for Personal Injury Attorney

When filing a personal injury lawsuit, it’s important to be aware of the fees and costs associated with doing so. There will likely be several expenses involved, such as legal fees paid to your attorney, filing fees, service fees, and discovery costs. In regards to legal fees, these vary greatly between attorneys. While some attorneys use a sliding scale for their contingency fees, others have a set hourly rate. You may also find attorneys that list their fees as a percentage of the settlement reached. Given how much these fees vary, we urge you to discuss costs during any initial meetings or consultations you have with prospective attorneys. We’d also like to take this opportunity to note that all AAESQ Law personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t get paid unless we win your case. 

Personal Injury Lawyer Role During the Process

Should you decide to hire a personal injury attorney to represent you for the duration of the lawsuit, you can expect them to be involved every step of the way. After hiring an attorney, they will kick off the lawsuit by filing the initial papers with the court (these are called pleadings). Next up is the fact-finding and discovery phase, during which you and your attorney will seek to obtain as much information and evidence as possible about the opposing side to establish the facts of the case. Methods used in this phase may include written discoveries, depositions, and document production. During the negotiation stage, which comes next, your attorney will play a pivotal role, negotiating with the at-fault party and their insurance company on your behalf in an effort to reach a fair and beneficial settlement. Though the majority of personal injury lawsuits are settled, if a settlement cannot be reached, then the final step of the process is a trial. During a trial, your attorney will plead your case in court, representing you until the very end. Overall, an attorney is an invaluable tool to have on your side when filing a personal injury lawsuit. Their in-depth knowledge of the legal system and negotiation skills not only give you the best chance of your claim being successful, but allows you to relax and focus on your recovery while they fight for your rights.

Conclusion

Looking to hire a skilled personal injury attorney with a proven track record? We’d love to hear from you! AAESQ Law is one of the leading personal injury law firms in Southern California. We offer free consultations to all prospective clients, during which one of our attorneys will take the time to listen to the circumstances of your injury and provide their professional opinion on whether a personal injury claim is worth pursuing. Your no-obligation consultation also provides the perfect opportunity for you to interview one of our attorneys and ask them any and all questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.