How do I choose the right personal injury lawyer?

The question that separates firms: who tries cases

Insurance carriers keep score on law firms: who files suit, who takes hard depositions, who has stood in front of a jury recently, and what the verdicts were. That scouting report sets the negotiating range on your claim before your facts are even read. So ask directly: when did you last pick a jury, in what kind of case, and what happened? A lawyer with real answers will enjoy the question. Advertising volume is not the same signal; some of the loudest firms resolve nearly everything at a discount and refer out anything headed to a courtroom, and the carriers know exactly who they are.

Who will actually hold your file

At high-volume operations, the lawyer in the ad is not the person who returns your calls; a case manager runs the file through a settlement pipeline, and the attorney appears at signing and disbursement. That model can process a fender-bender; it cannot build a serious case. Ask who will work the file day to day, who will take the depositions, and how you will reach them, then notice how the intake itself is handled. A firm that treats your first call as a transaction will treat your case as one. A solo or small trial practice trades volume for attention deliberately, and for a real injury, that trade favors you.

Get the money terms in writing, completely

Every contingency contract should answer, on its face: the percentage, and whether it steps up if suit is filed; whether case expenses come out before or after the percentage is computed; and what happens to advanced expenses if the case is lost. Texas requires the agreement in writing, and any hesitation to walk you through it line by line is itself an answer. One more Texas-specific warning: if someone solicited you after the crash, a caller, a visitor to the hospital, a stranger with a card, walk away. That solicitation, called barratry, is illegal in Texas, and a firm that builds its docket by breaking the rules is telling you how it will handle yours.

Use the free consultation as an interview

The consultation costs nothing, which means you can afford to be demanding in it. Bring your questions, watch whether the lawyer explains or performs, ask what the case's real weaknesses are, and trust the answer that includes some. Silver Key Law's pitch is deliberately short: one trial lawyer, cases prepared for the courtroom from day one, terms in plain writing, and a phone that gets answered. If another firm fits you better, choosing them promptly is still far better than choosing no one while the evidence disappears.

Injured in Arizona? Some rules on this page are Texas-specific. Arizona differs on points that change outcomes, including pure comparative fault and government-claim deadlines. See our Arizona answers or call (888) 508-6967.

Related: Contingency Fees Explained · Our Results · Submit Your Case · All Common Questions

This page is general information about Texas law, not legal advice about your specific situation. Deadlines and outcomes depend on facts; talk to a lawyer about yours.