After a serious Deer Park motorcycle wreck, there are many questions that come to mind about what has happened to you. Most of the time, motorcycle injuries are far more serious than car wreck injuries and involve ongoing care for months, if not years, after the wreck. That is why it is vitally important that you choose a Deer Park attorney who is experienced, respected, and tested in handling motorcycle injury claims.
Here are the top 5 QUESTIONS you MUST ask any attorney you interview before hiring him or her:
1. Are you Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law?
This is the first question to ask any attorney who claims to handle personal injury cases. In Texas, there are over 88,000 licensed attorneys and less than 2% of them are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. In order to obtain Board Certification, an attorney must have been licensed for several years before applying; he must certify that he commits a substantial involvement of his time to personal injury trial law; he must have tried many cases to a jury verdict; he must be endorsed by judges, opposing attorneys, and other attorneys; and lastly, he must pass a day-long written examination administered by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. So, if you are interviewing an attorney, there is about a 98% chance that he or she is not Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. At Denena & Points, P.C., both attorneys, Tony Denena and Chad Points, are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law.
2. Have you ever been sued by a client for legal malpractice?
This is a sensitive question for most attorneys because being sued does not necessarily reflect poor legal service; however, it is a question that must be asked in order to be fully informed. At Denena & Points, P.C. we pried ourselves on the fact that we take care of all of our clients. We are very efficient in the handling of your case and we take every case, no matter how large or small, very seriously. Due to this commitment to client satisfaction, we are very happy to report that we have never been sued, nor have we had any grievances filed against us.
3. Do you have professional malpractice insurance coverage?
Professional malpractice coverage protects you if a serious mistake is made by your attorney, which jeopardizes or prevents you from recovering on an otherwise recoverable case. Most attorneys start to squirm when this question is asked because it is not something we like to consider and, quite frankly, because most attorneys do not carry the coverage. As personal injury attorneys who rely on liability insurance coverage to ensure that our clients are fairly compensated, we feel that it would be hypocritical not to have our own liability coverage.
Thus, despite the fact that we have never been sued by a client, nor had a grievance filed against us, we maintain adequate professional malpractice coverage so you are protected in the highly unlikely event that a serious mistake is made. If you would like to see a copy of our proof of coverage, simply ask either Tony or Chad, and we will be happy to show it to you.
4. Will you give me the names of some clients you have represented in motorcycle injury claims that I can call?
If an attorney cannot provide you with at least 3 former clients who he has represented in similar type claims, you should call someone else. At Denena & Points, P.C. we maintain a database of all of our former clients so anyone who asks, can speak to them about how we handled their case.
5. If I hire you, will I be dealing with you, an associate attorney, or a legal assistant?
This is an extremely important question to ask. Many law firms have low-level inexperienced associate attorneys and legal secretaries that handle the day-to-day operations of your case. Ask the attorney you interview whether he will be available to answer your questions as the case progresses. Here is a hint: if, in the initial meeting, you are dealing with a legal assistant, associate attorney, or investigator, that should be a HUGE RED FLAG that you will not be dealing with the named partner during your case.
At Denena & Points, P.C. When you hire Tony or Chad, you get Tony or Chad. We will talk to you whenever you want, subject to out calendar, of course. In addition to the 2 named partners, we have an excellent staff of top paralegals and legal assistants who understand what you are going through, are compassionate, and intelligent. If Tony or Chad is unavailable, your assigned legal assistant will take your call, answer any question, and forward the message to us. One of us will then call you back at our next opportunity. We pride ourselves on client service and understand that when you hire Tony or Chad, you expect to talk to him when you call with a question.
Lastly, always remember, there is no obligation to hire an attorney before sitting down with him for a face-to-face interview. Call us TODAY at 877.307.9500 and we will answer any of your questions without the expectation of being hired. If you like what you hear, we will be privileged to represent you in your Deer Park motorcycle wreck case.