Most personal injury lawyers will offer a free consultation, which is can also be referred to as a “case review.” At Lewis Law, we will always make time for a free initial consultation, which can be scheduled at your convenience either in person or over the phone. However, there are some personal injury lawyers who do not offer this free service. So, before you set up an appointment, you should always check to be sure.

There is no right or wrong answer for this question; it is more about your comfort level. Many victims want to choose a lawyer who dedicates 100% of his or her practice to personal injury. They feel that the attorney will have more experience handling these types of cases. It is also important to ask the attorney what types of injury cases they’ve handled and whether they are familiar with the type of injury that you have suffered.

No lawyer can guarantee the outcome of a case, as many factors can all contribute to the outcome. If a lawyer promises you a monetary outcome in your case, it may be a good idea to keep looking. At Lewis Law, we can’t guarantee the outcome of your case, but we can guarantee that we will give you and your case the attention, respect and hard work that you deserve.

This is important to get a feel for the law firm and the type of practice they have. There is nothing wrong with speaking having a consultation with a lawyer who will not handle your case, but it will not allow you to immediately start building a relationship with your future attorney. It is also important to ask who else will be handling your case to find out what type of education, experience and availability your legal team will have for you and your case.

Attorneys work on either a contingency fee or hourly fee basis. Contingency fee means that your attorney payment is contingent on them favorably concluding your case, and a percentage of that recovery will go to the lawyer. In absence of a recovery for you, the attorney will not collect a fee. An hourly basis means that the attorney gets paid for every hour that he or she puts into your case. In most personal injury cases, lawyers work on a contingency basis and that goes for us at Lewis Law, too. However, if you are considering hiring a lawyer for your personal injury case, it is also important to inquire about this right at the beginning. If you choose to hire Lewis Law, we will sit down with you and your family to determine what our fee would be in your case and make sure that you are 100% comfortable with the process.

It is also important to know that No Recovery = No Fee doesn’t always mean that there will be no out of pocket expense to you. Sometimes if a lawyer fails to secure a settlement or verdict for you, they may still charge you for “costs” like the expense to acquire your medical records, to make photo copies and other administrative costs. There is nothing wrong with this practice, but it is always a good idea to ask about these things before you sign a contract.

Every case is unique, so there is no right or wrong answer. But, what the lawyer says will give you insight in how he or she may think about your case.
An experienced personal injury lawyer has seen it all and can give you specific ideas of what can go wrong in a personal injury case. They should share with you the importance of following your doctors’ orders and refraining from behavior that could negatively impact your case.

A lawyer should be able to tell you about his or her education, experience and personal philosophies that impact and shape that way they practice law. They may also tell you about memberships in legal organizations, publications or awards that uniquely position them to help you. That is all well and good, but at the end of the day it all comes down to trust. Did you feel that the lawyer was honest and truthful with you? Were they just saying what they though you wanted to hear? Can you trust the person across the desk or on the other side of the phone with your personal injury case? If the answer isn’t yes, you may just need some additional information from the lawyer. However, if even after you’ve done your homework, you still don’t feel like this is a person that you’d be comfortable working with, it may be time to continue your search elsewhere. After all, the lawyer-client relationship,like any relationship, has to be built on trust.