How to Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Choosing a personal injury lawyer comes down to ten questions: (1) Do you try cases, and when did you last take one to verdict? (2) Who will actually handle my file — you, an associate, or a case manager? (3) How many active cases do you carry? (4) Have you handled my injury type specifically? (5) What is your fee percentage at each stage, and how are costs treated? (6) Will you advance case costs, and do I owe them if we lose? (7) How will you communicate with me, and how often? (8) What is your honest read of my case's strengths and problems? (9) Who pays for experts, and how do you decide to hire them? (10) What happens if we disagree about accepting a settlement?

Why the trial question comes first

Insurers maintain data on which firms actually try cases and which always settle — and they price offers accordingly. A lawyer who never sees a courtroom negotiates from a weaker position on every file, including yours. You're not hiring for a guaranteed trial; you're hiring for a credible one.

The volume-mill tell

Heavy-advertising firms running thousands of files can produce fast, discounted settlements — efficient for minor claims, costly for serious ones. The diagnostic is question 2: if you'll never speak to the lawyer whose name is on the building, your significant injury is being processed, not represented. Serious injuries deserve a firm where the trial lawyer knows your file.

Reading the fee agreement like a lawyer

The percentage matters less than the mechanics: tiered percentages by stage, whether costs come off before or after the fee is calculated (a swing worth thousands — see our contingency fee guide), and cost responsibility on a loss. Reputable firms answer all three in writing without being pressed.

Credentials that mean something

Board certification in civil trial law where your state offers it, trial-lawyer organization memberships, published verdicts and appellate opinions — versus credentials that mostly mean marketing spend. Ask what the lawyer's last three resolved cases like yours looked like; specifics are the credential.