What questions should you ask before hiring a lawyer?
Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Attorney Before Hiring One

It’s always difficult when looking for third-party help of any kind. When you need to find an accountant, build a new patio, or fix your heating and air conditioning, you thoroughly investigate the person you want to do the work.

Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Attorney Before Hiring One

It’s always difficult when looking for third-party help of any kind. When you need to find an accountant, build a new patio, or fix your heating and air conditioning, you thoroughly investigate the person you want to do the work. Why don’t more people do the same with their personal injury lawyer? Ask these questions to find the best one for your needs:

How many years of experience do you have?

You always want someone experienced. It isn’t everything. But the more of it your attorney has, the more likely they are to get you a fair legal outcome.

What results have you delivered your clients?

Don’t let them get away with a “that’s confidential” response. They may not be able to discuss specific case results (although some clients allow this).

But they should be comfortable keeping the client’s name and any information that revealed their identity confidential, while discussing other facts of their case. You’ll get a good idea they can deliver you results.

The very best personal injury attorneys have long lists of successful settlements.

How much experience do they have in resolving your specific type of injury case?

Now this one’s huge. Not every lawyer handles all case types. For example, some specialize mostly in product liability, while others in car accidents.

Most have a collection of several different types of cases they specialize in – and that’s what you want to see.

What percentage of your cases settle out of court?

The more, the better. That saves you time, stress, and legal fees. They should settle most of their injury cases out of court.

How many times have you gone to trial? How often do you win?

Most cases do not go to court. But some do. You always want an experienced, successful lawyer that wins most of their court cases. 

Who does all the work on my personal injury case?

Paralegals sometimes help assemble case information. That’s okay – you should be comfortable with that.

But, at large law firms, the senior lawyer may hand off most of your case work, even the trial work, to inexperienced associate and junior lawyers. You want to make sure the most talented professional does all the work on your injury case.

If we lose, am I responsible for advanced costs?

“Advanced costs” are one of the “got-yas” of the legal industry. These costs are usually deducted from your contingency fee when your case wins – that’s okay. However, some personal injury law firms charge them even if you are not successful in winning your accident case. You should not have to pay any “advanced costs” for any reason – ever.

Ask your lawyer if they charge them and promptly excuse yourself from the meeting or phone call if they do. The answers to those questions help you nail down which attorney to hire. But they won’t quite give you the “full picture” of the legal counsel you should retain. To make the definitive choice for yourself, there’s some other questions you should ask too.

Have you ever been suspended from practicing law? Why?

If your personal injury attorney answers “yes” to this one, ouch! Time to find someone else. It takes quite grievous errors in legal practice (or any profession for that matter) to have your professional license suspended.

Do you have references I can contact?

Every lawyer, new and experienced, should come up with at least 2-3 right off the top of their head. Generally, with more experienced lawyers, you won’t need to ask this question because you know based on their other credentials they can do the job. If they plead “client confidentiality,” ask them for names of other attorneys or court reporters.

What contingency fee do you charge?

Most injury law firms charge 33.3% (1/3). In some rare cases, you can find ones that charge less like we do

When can you actually start work on my case?

This floats below the radar of the average person. You know those injury lawyers that advertise all the time? Often, they take on your case and then file the suit 12-18 months later right before the statute of limitations ends.

They do it because they’re so busy. It’s not the end of the world because they still do the legal work for you. But, if you have mounting medical costs and need a way to pay those sooner rather than later, that time hurts!

Do you try cases in court, or do you aim to settle out of court first?

Now, you want to hear your attorney prepares every accident case as if it’s going to go to trial. And if the defendant thinks you’re ready to do that, they’ll likely settle faster and for a higher amount. That’s because no one wants to go to court – it costs money and takes a lot of time. Most of our cases settle out of court (90% or so), but you want a firm that prepares for all-out war.

With those questions you have all the information you need to pick the perfect lawyer for your needs.

Join The Family That Wins

In the last four years, our firm made Top Verdict’s “Top 50” Personal Injury Settlements in Texas list 44 times, and the “Top 100” list 70 times.

2023 Top 20 Personal Injury Settlements
2021 Texas Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Settlements Mullen & Mullen
2021 Texas Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements Mullen & Mullen
2020 Texas Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Settlements Mullen & Mullen
2019 Texas Top 20 Settlements All Practice Areas Mullen & Mullen

Why Choose Mullen & Mullen to Handle Your Case?

According to TopVerdict.com, our Dallas attorneys consistently achieve some of the highest recoveries in the state of Texas. As a matter of fact, in the last four years, we’ve made their Texas “Top 50” Personal Injury Settlements list 43 times, and their “Top 100” list 70 times. For example, in 2021 one of our claims made the Top 10 list, eight made the Top 11-20 list, and ten made the Top 21-50 list. When you factor in our reduced 29% contingency fee, we are confident we will help you recover more. At Mullen & Mullen, we pride ourselves on routinely recovering full policy limits for our clients without the necessity of costly and time-consuming litigation.

According to TopVerdict.com, our Dallas attorneys consistently achieve some of the highest recoveries in the state of Texas. As a matter of fact, in the last three years we’ve made their “Texas Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements” list 43 times. For example, in 2021 one of our claims made the Top 10 list, eight made the Top 11-20 list, and ten made the Top 21-50 list. When you factor in our reduced 29% contingency fee, we are confident we will help you recover more. At Mullen & Mullen, we pride ourselves on routinely recovering full policy limits for our clients without the necessity of costly and time-consuming litigation.

We have access to state-of-the-art diagnostic technology through well-established relationships with medical doctors, surgeons, physical therapists, chiropractors, neurologists, counselors, and other healthcare providers in the entire DFW Metroplex. You receive the quality medical attention you need from local providers near where you live or work. These providers specialize in treating people hurt in accidents of all kinds and they know how to properly document injuries to meet the legal burden of proof in your personal injury case. These providers are also willing to delay billing collections until after your case is resolved so you can focus on recovering without additional stress. Physicians that don’t routinely treat accident victims as part of their practice usually turn away patients over fear of being involved in the legal process or fear of health insurance companies refusing to pay accident-related healthcare bills. Please call us at 214-747-5240 for a free consultation and some advice.

Even if you don’t have health insurance or can’t afford your deductible, Mullen & Mullen will secure you the quality healthcare and state-of-the art diagnostics you deserve with no upfront out of pocket costs.

Shane, Joseph and Regis have almost 100 years of combined experience practicing personal injury law. That doesn’t even include the combined experience of the attorneys that serve as of-counsel to Mullen & Mullen at no additional cost to our clients. Our firm continues to evolve, but we never forget our Core Values. We do the right thing, handle cases the way we would want our own case handled, and we truly listen to clients. We have over 40 years of local knowledge, and that matters!

Some lawyers forget that they represent the client, but we never have. Our legal team will make YOU the priority. You are the boss, and we will respond quickly to your requests for case updates and assistance. We guarantee that when you need to speak to your counsel, you will speak directly to your counsel, not to a paralegal or secretary, because that’s the way it should be.

Most firms hire an investigator to help develop evidence on your case and charge you back for that service. Our firm, however, has 2 full-time accident investigators on staff and we offer their services to you for free. This is another way we will maximize your compensation.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Video footage is worth a lot more. Our in-house videographer allows us to capture the true impact the accident has on your life beyond mere words on a piece of paper.

When necessary, Mullen & Mullen Law Firm uses cutting edge technology like 3D imaging videos to fully demonstrate the extent of our clients’ injuries to the insurance companies. This also helps maximize the value of your claim.

Mullen & Mullen’s attorneys live and work right here in Dallas, and always have. We believe in paying our success forward by helping people in the North Texas community, and are dedicated to supporting these local charities.

More Than Just Legal Representation
Mullen & Mullen:
The Mullen & Mullen Way

Success

Our success rate speaks for itself. We consistently earn awards from TopVerdict.com for achieving the highest settlement amounts in Texas. In fact, no other law office made their 2021 Texas "Top 50" personal injury settlements list as many times as we did. We placed on it nineteen times in a single year.

Responsiveness

You'll always be kept in the loop regarding the status of your case. Calls are answered promptly, and you can even text your dedicated legal team directly 24/7.

Caring

We'll make you feel like part of the family, not just another case. Our compassionate lawyers will take the time to listen to your story, comprehensively understand your unique circumstances, and we will tailor our legal strategies accordingly. Your best interests are at the forefront of everything we do.

Local

Mullen & Mullen has been a mainstay in the North Texas community since 1983. Our attorneys are always willing to meet with injury victims face-to-face. You won’t be dealing with some call center hundreds of miles away or on the other side of the country (or world).

Aggressive

We won’t back down or be intimidated in any form or fashion. We will not allow insurance carriers to delay, deny, or minimize your claim. We never hesitate to recommend litigation if it is necessary to achieve a just outcome.

Attorney Access

When you work with a big law firm, you'll most likely be assigned a case worker and may never even talk to your attorney. Our attorneys make themselves available and invest in your case personally.

Discounted Contingency Fee

Of course we only get paid when you do. And when we do, we discount our legal fees to 29% instead of the industry standard 33.3% for claims that settle without litigation.

Top Reviewed

It's not just the hundreds of 5-star reviews that we've earned, but the things that our clients say. Read our reviews and you'll quickly see that we put passion into our work.

What's Next?
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Case Evaluation
Following an accident or injury, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney about the specific circumstances of your potential personal injury case.
Accident Investigation
We always investigate each personal injury claim, thoroughly gather evidence, and consult with experts when necessary to develop a strong foundation for your personal injury case. Unlike most law firms, our in-house investigative team - and dedicated videographer - are included at no additional cost to you.
Legal Strategy
Every personal injury claim is unique. Our attorneys will create a highly customized legal strategy tailored to fit the individual circumstances of your case.
Demand Letter
A settlement demand package is prepared that outlines liability and damages including injuries, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. It is typically sent to the at-fault party's insurance company.
Case Settles or Goes to Litigation
Most of our claims settle during the demand negotiation process. We’re dedicated to getting the best possible result for all clients, however, and never hesitate to recommend the filing of a personal injury lawsuit if we believe that is what is required to maximize YOUR compensation.
Ready to Get Started?

The Mullen & Mullen family is here to address your concerns and make the path to recovery smooth. There are no fees to get started and you pay $0 if we don’t settle your case.

Get Your Free Case Evaluation Now