The worst time to find an attorney

The worst time to find an attorney is when you desperately need one.

Most people don't think about personal injury lawyers until they're sitting in an ER parking lot, Googling from their phone. They're scared, they're hurt, and they're making one of the most important decisions of their life under the worst possible conditions.

What if you already knew who you'd call?

What if you'd already vetted someone, asked the right questions, understood their approach,before you ever needed them?

That's not paranoid. That's being protected.

Why Your Attorney Matters

Not all personal injury attorneys are the same.

I'll be honest: the South Florida PI market is, as one colleague put it, "as sleazy as sleazy gets." It's saturated with billboard lawyers competing on volume, making promises they can't keep, and treating clients like case numbers instead of families.

The difference between attorneys can mean:

• Tens of thousands of dollars in your settlement
• Whether your case is fought or settled too quickly
• Whether you work with your attorney or get passed to staff
• Whether someone fights for you when things get hard or drops your case

This isn't about finding the cheapest option or the biggest name. It's about finding someone who will actually advocate for you.

Questions to Ask Before You Need Them

1. Will you stay with my case through full settlement?

This is the most important question you can ask.

Many PI attorneys take cases, do the initial work, then settle quickly to move on to the next one. They're not bad people, they're running a volume business. But that model isn't built around your best outcome.

Ask specifically: "What happens after the initial settlement offer? Do you negotiate? Do you go to trial if needed?"

What I do differently: I stay with cases from first call to final settlement. When insurance companies lowball, I fight. When cases get complicated, I don't disappear. That's what A-Z advocacy means.

2. Will I work with you directly or get passed to staff?

At large firms, you might sign up with a name on a billboard and never actually meet that attorney. Your case gets handled by paralegals, assistants, and associates.

Ask specifically: "Who will I be talking to throughout my case? How often will we communicate?"

What I do differently: I answer my own phone. I know every client's family. I'm not too busy to have a real conversation.

3. What's your philosophy on client care?

This question separates transactional attorneys from transformational ones.

A transactional attorney sees your case as a file. They'll process it efficiently and move on.

A transformational attorney sees you as a person going through one of the worst experiences of your life. They'll guide you through it.

Ask specifically: "What does client care mean to you? How do you support clients beyond the legal work?"

What I do differently: I see my role as protection AND guidance. I handle the battles my clients shouldn't have to see: the insurance tactics, the lowball offers, the pressure. And I make sure they understand every step of what's happening, so they never feel lost in their own case.

4. How do you handle cases when things get difficult?

Easy cases don't reveal character. Difficult ones do.

Ask specifically: "Tell me about a case that got complicated. What did you do?"

What I do differently: I had a client hit by a dump truck. The insurance company came back insisting it wasn't the truck's fault. A lot of attorneys would have taken that at face value, or at least slowed down. Instead, I moved fast. I gathered witness statements, obtained the traffic-light timing data, and secured the vehicle's black box data. That evidence proved exactly what happened and completely contradicted the insurance company's initial position. The denial was reversed.

When things get difficult, I don't accept unfair assessments. I dig deeper.

Red Flags to Watch For

Signs an attorney might NOT be the right fit:

Promises that sound too good

"I'll get you the maximum settlement" sounds great, but it's meaningless. No attorney can guarantee an outcome. If they're promising specific results before seeing your case, be skeptical.

Pressure to sign immediately

Good attorneys know you need time to decide. If someone is pushing hard for an immediate commitment, ask yourself why.

Can't explain their process

You should understand how your case will be handled. If an attorney can't clearly explain their approach, they might not have one.

Volume-focused language

"We handle hundreds of cases" might sound impressive, but it means you're one of hundreds. Ask how many cases each attorney personally manages.

No clear communication plan

How will you reach them? How quickly will they respond? If they can't answer this, communication will be a problem.

They badmouth other attorneys

Confident attorneys don't need to tear down competitors. If someone spends more time criticizing others than explaining their own value, that's a warning sign.

The Concierge Difference

I built my practice to be the opposite of the billboard model.

Here's what that looks like:

Before an accident:

• Free coverage reviews through my Auto Coverage Concierge
• Education so you understand your rights
• A relationship so you already know who to call

During representation:

• Direct access to me, not a call center
• Regular communication, not radio silence
• A-Z advocacy from first call to final settlement

Beyond the legal work:

• Referrals to trusted medical providers
• Guidance through the recovery process
• Care that extends past the case

I'm not trying to be the biggest PI firm in South Florida. I'm trying to be the one families trust before, during, and after they need me.

Want to know who you'd call before you need to?

Schedule a Free Consultation