Choosing an attorney following an auto accident could be the difference between being short-changed and maximizing compensation you deserve.
Does the law firm you are considering handle cases themselves? Does the firm prosecute cases in-house, or do they most often refer cases out to other law firms? Most attorneys on the web, especially many of those highest in google search rankings, have reached those rankings because they spend most of their money advertising to sign up new cases, rather than prosecuting cases for actual plaintiffs.
These are just a few considerations you would be wise to assess before hiring an attorney to represent you in a car accident claim:
- Related Experience – Has the attorney handled accident cases similar to yours?
- Courtroom Experience – Has the attorney you are considering appeared in the courtroom representing actual clients? How many times has your potential attorney appeared in a courtroom representing plaintiffs? Has he or she won some substantial verdicts in the courtroom?
- Do the attorney’s advertised successes match the long-term reality of actually putting money in the clients’ pockets? Keep in mind that the state bar in Texas does not allow attorneys to post results of verdicts or settlements they have achieved, unless there is an exact accounting of how much money went into the plaintiff’s pocket, how much attorneys in the case took home themselves, and how much attorneys billed the client for expenses. Because exact financial accountings can be difficult to assess, many Texas attorneys do not post these amounts. Many wise attorneys fear running afoul of the Texas state bar, which can sanction them or even take their license should they post inaccurate numbers, whether by some honest accounting mistake or otherwise. Many others, meanwhile, take chances and post amounts regardless of Texas state bar rules.
- It may be wise to be wary of law firms posting big numbers from past cases. Big numbers don’t necessarily mean anything, as virtually all large verdicts are appealed by defense lawyers working for insurance companies. In addition, there’s no guarantee that some posted number will have any relationship whatsoever to the potential compensation an attorney might or might not attain for you in your case.
- Do the attorneys you are vetting seem to make their web site presence more about them or more about their clients? Many trumpet past achievements to sell themselves and will do just about anything to bring another client into their offices. Others may be too busy actually helping clients whom they already represent in litigation to pay for expensive ads and overplay their advertising hand.
- Do attorneys at the firm handle the firm’s own cases, or do they “refer” them to other attorneys? Many, if not most, attorneys you see as you browse the web are “advertising attorneys.” They spend virtually all of their money and time in advertising to sign up more clients. Most attorneys never see a court room in their legal life, or take a deposition from a single expert. Many “web lawyers” simply advertise heavily and then sign up and refer the cases they sign to some other attorney groups that do the heavy lifting. The heavy lifters spend their own money in gathering evidence, taking expert witness testimony in depositions, securing police reports, hospital records, Lifecare reports – in short, performing all of the tasks that must be completed in the prosecution of a serious accident-injury case.
- Trust your instincts – you either know something is not quite right, or you know in your gut what is right – if you know how to trust yourself. God speaks to us all if we only learn to listen. If discerning people have learned anything during the plandemic these last three years, it’s that we need to trust ourselves before we trust something or someone representing themselves as an “expert,” whether as a TV doctor like Tony Fauci sponsored by Pfizer, or by some other multi-national corporation selling us something we don’t need, or that might even hurt us in the long run.
- Does the attorney whom I am considering live close enough to where I live so that I might meet him or her face to face? A serious car accident is a life-changing event that practically requires that you meet your potential lawyer in person. No matter how much you may research some lawyer on the web, there’s nothing like a face-to-face meeting to really feel the situation out, and see firsthand if this is somebody you want to trust with your future well-being. Because almost anybody old enough to drive a car knows that financial health can be closely linked to mental and physical health.
Here’s hoping you find success in your hunt for a lawyer you feel can best represent you in your car accident case, or for whatever else you may need in legal representation.
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by Matthews & Associates
