What Should I Ask Before Hiring an Injury Attorney?
Your first meeting at Zervos & Calta, PLLC will actually be with an accident lawyer, not an investigator or a paralegal. We invite you to ask us both questions about your case as well as questions about us and our firm. Here are some sample questions:
- How long have you practiced personal injury law?
- Does your practice consist solely of representing auto accident victims, or do you handle other types of law, as well?
- On average, how many victims do you represent each year?
- How many injury lawsuits do you settle each year? How many cases do you take to trial each year?
- Have you frequently handled cases similar to mine?
- Which law school did you attend, and when did you graduate?
- Do you belong to any bar associations or professional organizations? If so, which ones?
- Do you have any special experience representing victims of auto accidents who have back injuries, neck injuries, or other injuries that may cause lifelong medical problems?
- How many cases have you taken and to trial, and what were the outcomes?
- Can you provide me with the names and case numbers of your cases that went to trial?
- How do you get paid?
Ask for an opinion
Some questions you might want to ask specific to your case include:
- What is your assessment of my case?
- What kind of auto accident settlement or judgment can I realistically expect to receive?
- What are the strengths of my case? What are the weaknesses?
- Will my case have to go to trial?
- How long do you expect it would take to resolve my case?
Ask how your case will be handled
Every lawyer has a different style or approach in practicing personal injury law. Here are some questions you can ask to get a feel for our firm’s approach:
- How would you describe your philosophy or approach to practicing law?
- What is your approach to handling auto accident cases?
- Will you ask me to make decisions, or will you to tell me what I should do?
- Will you personally handle my case, or will another attorney manage it?
- Will you handle negotiations and court appearances?
- Will you be my day-to-day contact?
- What is the best way to reach you? How quickly do you typically respond?