5 Things to Consider When Choosing A Personal Injury Attorney
Choosing the most effective attorney for your personal injury lawsuit can be a challenging task. Some injury victims rely on referrals from friends or family members. Some call the number they see on the big billboard they drive past every day. Some call one of those law firms that run those aggressive commercials that come on during the nightly news. With all of these options in mind, here are a few things to consider before hiring a Texas personal injury attorney.
- Will you actually speak to a lawyer?
When you call most Texas personal injury law firms, your call will be handled by a receptionist or intake specialist. The results of the intake process will determine if your personal injury lawsuit is the type of case the law firm handles. For instance, not all personal injury lawyers handle medical malpractice cases. Some Texas car accident lawyers do not handle slip-and-fall cases.
However, after the initial intake process is completed, you should be able to schedule a meeting or phone conference with the Texas personal injury lawyer. If this vital step does not happen, you should get a good idea of what level of personal participation the attorneys will have with your personal injury case.
- Did the law firm answer your questions? More importantly, did they take the time to explain their answers in plain language?
Many of the questions posed by a potential client can be difficult to answer right away. The personal injury lawyer often does not know all the facts needed to come to a complete opinion. However, a thorough and proper response to any question will also include an explanation of what additional information the attorney needs to evaluate your case.
- What are others saying about the law firm?
While many potential clients rely on online reviews to evaluate a personal injury lawyer, these reviews can be somewhat misleading. A five-star review usually comes from happy clients, while unhappy clients are typically not called on to provide a review. You should read the actual text of the reviews and you can see what each particular client found most satisfying about their experiences with the personal injury lawyers.
For instance, dealing with insurance claims can be a frustrating experience. Online reviews can help you to see what previous clients found most effective about their experiences with their insurance claim attorney.
- Is the personal injury lawyer a member of any professional organizations?
You can find out a lot about a lawyer by the company he or she keeps. In most instances, a jack of all trades is a master at none. You can typically learn about an attorney’s specialty by finding out if they surround themselves with other like-minded attorneys with related goals.
For instance, Tyler personal injury attorney Donivan Flowers of The Flowers Law Firm is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. This group of personal injury lawyers is dedicated to helping victims of car accidents and other negligent conduct. No insurance company lawyers are permitted to join this group. Donivan Flowers is also a member of the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America, a group dedicated to increasing safety of 18-wheelers and preventing tractor-trailer accidents.
- How long will the personal injury lawsuit take?
A Texas car accident lawsuit, or any other type of personal injury or insurance matter, can be a lengthy process. The law firm and the client will often work together for many months to achieve the most advantageous result. Attorney and client must find a comfort level and establish trust in each other at the outset.
At The Flowers Law Firm, our goal is to change the public’s perception of Texas personal injury lawyers, one client at a time. We emphasize the importance of attorney to client communication and dedicate our practice to helping personal injury victims who are fighting against bad faith insurance practices.
Contact a Texas personal injury lawyer
If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence, you may want to think about filing a Texas injury lawsuit. The personal injury attorney at The Flowers Law Firm, P.C. stands ready to help. You can receive a free, no-obligation consultation from our personal injury attorney by calling us at (903) 965-2000, or email us at info@flowers-law.com.