There are many questions that go through your head when you have been involved in a Texas City accident. This article focuses on the 7 things you need to ask a Texas City personal injury attorney BEFORE deciding whether to hire one.
1. Do I Even Need to Hire an Attorney?
Sometimes, you do not even need to hire an attorney for your Texas City personal injury accident. If the damage to your vehicle is less than $2,000.00 or you are not injured, you can usually handle the issues with the other party’s insurance company on your own. However, the attorneys at Denena & Points, P.C. are always available to answer your questions even if you decide not to hire an attorney.
2. Are you Board Certified?
There are 88,000 licensed attorneys in the State of Texas, and less than 2 percent of these are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. That means if you hire at random, you only have a 2 in 100 chance at getting one recognized by the state bar as exemplary. Both Tony Denena and Chad Points are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
The Texas Board of Legal Specialization writes, “Board Certification is a mark of excellence and a distinguishing accomplishment… Within the Texas legal community, Board Certification means an attorney has substantial, relevant experience in a select field of law as well as demonstrated, and tested, special competence in that area of law.”
You should ask the attorney you are interviewing whether he or she is Board Certified. If you don’t, you are likely to get one of the 98% of all attorneys that is not.
3. How Much Will it Cost Me?
It costs NOTHING to talk to a Texas City personal injury attorney at Denena & Points, P.C. If you decide to hire us, we will handle your case on a contingency fee basis, which means our recovery of attorney’s fees is contingent upon us recovering money for your injuries. The fee depends on the type of case, the complexity of the case, and the stage of the case at which recovery is achieved. You will never pay any money out of your pocket to hire us. If no money is recovered, you will not owe us a penny. If an attorney tells you that you have to pay any money to hire him for your Texas City personal injury case, you need to talk to someone else.
4. Do I Have to Sue the Other Driver?
The type of case determines whether you have to sue the other driver. Many times, the Texas City personal injury attorneys at Denena & Points, P.C. are able to resolve the case in your favor without ever filing a lawsuit. However, there are other times when a lawsuit cannot be avoided. Contact us today to discuss your case so we can help you determine whether you need to file a lawsuit.
5. What do I do if I Don’t Have Health Insurance?
Many people do not have health insurance or have the ability to pay for the necessary medical care to treat their injuries after an accident. We have an extensive network of doctors and other healthcare providers who will agree to treat you and bill you later. If you have the ability to pay for some or all of the services during your treatment, payment is welcomed. If not, we can make arrangements to pay back the providers at the end of the case out of your settlement proceeds. The key is: you need to have access to quality medical care right after your Texas City accident. We can help you with it.
6. How Long Will This Take?
The length of time it takes to resolve your case depends on the type and complexity of the case. Your Texas City personal injury attorneys at Denena & Points, P.C. pride themselves on maximizing case value in the shortest period of time possible. If your case is straightforward and involves relatively mild injuries, such as soft tissue injuries, you should expect to resolve your case within approximately 6 months. If it goes into litigation or involves complex injuries, it could take much longer, up to 2 years and sometimes more, but this is rare.
7. Is it Legal for Attorneys to be Contacting Me?
It is never legal for an attorney or anyone claiming to be working with an attorney to contact you on the phone without you requesting it. These so-called ambulance chasers are engaging in illegal activities and you should immediately report them to the State Bar of Texas.