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If you have been injured and have decided to hire a personal injury lawyer to assist with your injury case, chances are this is your first time hiring legal representation. To be honest, you may not really want to deal with a lawyer, but your injuries and the way the insurance company is treating you leave you with no choice. Do not worry; we at the Law Offices of Robert Rodriguez understand what you are going through, and we want to ensure that you hire the right personal injury lawyer for your needs.
Considering that you will be in a relationship with whoever you hire until your case is resolved, you should go into the process with some idea of what to expect from your personal injury lawyer.
Everyone in your personal injury lawyer’s office should be courteous, organized, polite, attentive, respectful, and dedicated to helping each client navigate through what is often a very trying experience. You should expect complete confidentiality, which means the staff should not be gossiping about what is in your medical records, your settlement offers, or gossiping about you in general. Unless you have given express permission to discuss your case with your spouse or anyone else, they will be politely told that we cannot discuss your case with them. In fact, we cannot even disclose that you are a client.
After many years of helping clients, I fully understand that physical pain can make a person crabby, irritable, and hard to deal with. Even on those days when the client is all of those things, the personal injury lawyer and their staff should respond with courtesy, respect, and understanding. Nothing makes a client feel more frustrated than being disregarded and ignored. The most common complaint I hear when clients call me about firing their personal injury lawyer and hiring me is that the lawyer had never talked to them, never returned their calls, and was never available to meet with them and discuss their case. Here, at the Law Offices of Robert Rodriguez, we are always available to our clients.
At our law firm, we have extensive experience in representing clients across various personal injury cases. Our dedicated team is well-versed in navigating the complexities of different situations to ensure you receive the legal support you need. Here are some of the key types of personal injury cases we handle:
Injuries resulting from car accidents can be severe. Our team is skilled in dealing with insurance claims, proving liability, and securing fair compensation for your injuries.
Collisions involving large trucks demand specific expertise. We handle cases where individuals have suffered injuries due to truck accidents, ensuring thorough investigation and effective representation.
If you’ve been involved in an accident while using rideshare services, such as Uber or Lyft, we understand the unique challenges. Our team can navigate the complexities of rideshare accidents to seek rightful compensation.
Motorcyclists often face heightened risks on the road. We specialize in representing those injured in motorcycle accidents, working to secure fair compensation for their injuries.
Property owners have a responsibility to maintain safe premises. If you’ve suffered a slip and fall due to negligence, we can help you pursue a claim for your injuries.
When medical professionals fail to meet the standard of care, it can lead to serious consequences. We advocate for those who have experienced medical malpractice, seeking compensation for medical errors.
If you’ve been injured on the job, you may be entitled to more than just workers’ compensation. We can assess your case to determine if a personal injury claim is applicable.
Defective products can cause harm to consumers. Our team is experienced in holding manufacturers accountable for injuries caused by faulty products.
Inadequate security measures can lead to preventable injuries. We handle cases where individuals have suffered harm due to negligent security, whether on commercial or residential properties.
Cases involving injuries to children require special attention. Our team is committed to advocating for the rights of injured children and securing the compensation needed for their recovery.
Dog owners are responsible for controlling their pets. If you’ve been bitten or attacked by a dog, we can help you pursue compensation for your injuries.
Losing a loved one due to someone else’s negligence is a devastating experience. Our compassionate team can assist you in seeking justice and compensation through a wrongful death claim.
If you have decided to retain a personal injury lawyer in Houston to help you with your injury case, chances are this is your first time hiring a lawyer. Considering that you will be in a relationship with whoever you hire until your case is resolved, you should go into the process with some idea of what to expect from your personal injury lawyer.
Lawyers are bound by Rules of Ethics that set minimum standards for how a lawyer is to comport themselves when dealing with clients, other lawyers, and judges. Regarding the lawyer-client relationship, the rules require a written contract that spells out the work your personal injury lawyer will perform, how case expenses will be paid, and the fee you will pay for the lawyer’s services. The rules also require the lawyer to keep their client informed as to the status of the case. There are many other standards imposed, but they can be categorized as rules that require utmost professionalism, rules that require complete honesty, and rules that require complete transparency in itemizing case costs, expenses, and fees.
In personal injury cases, lawyers work on what is called a contingent fee contract, which means the personal injury lawyer’s fee is paid only if they are successful in recovering money for their client. The fee amount is usually 33.333% of the gross recovery, but most personal injury lawyers escalate the fees to 40% if a suit has to be filed and 50% if the case has to be appealed. Personal injury lawyers in Houston have complete discretion on their fees. For example, in small to medium cases, we charge the same 33.333% whether the case settles without filing suit, whether suit is filed, or whether an appeal is necessary after a trial. What’s more, in the small cases, I frequently lower my fee to keep from making more money than my client. I don’t, however, ever negotiate my fee. It is always my decision whether the situation warrants me reducing my fee. In any case, the contract must be in writing and signed by both you and your personal injury lawyer in Houston.
Personal injury lawyers often encounter challenges in maintaining consistent communication with their clients. Some lawyers shy away from client calls, neglect answering questions, or overlook the importance of keeping clients updated on case developments. Overcoming these challenges requires a well-organized and client-focused approach.
While personal injury lawyers don’t need to adhere to a strict daily, weekly, or monthly calling schedule, clients should be contacted when significant updates occur. This includes instances like settlement offers, scheduled statements or depositions, or suggestions for mediation. Clients are encouraged to reach out if they have questions or seek updates on their case.
Until a client is released from treatment, personal injury lawyers should regularly check on their well-being. Monitoring treatment progress, addressing concerns with healthcare providers, and ensuring the client’s overall improvement are vital aspects of this process.
Frequent communication allows personal injury lawyers to identify gaps in treatment, order necessary medical records, and guide clients toward specialists if needed. Both clients and lawyers play a role in this two-way communication, with clients expected to report any changes in treatment, referrals to new physicians, diagnostic test orders, or alterations in contact information.
Meticulous record-keeping is crucial for personal injury lawyers. Maintaining a log that records each case-related action and calls ensures transparency and accountability. These logs, ideally entered in real-time, help identify responsible parties, actions taken, and the timeline of events. Utilizing modern databases further streamlines this documentation process for personal injury law firms.
In summary, effective communication and organization are fundamental for personal injury lawyers to provide optimal support to their clients throughout the legal process.
Aside from keeping you informed, your personal injury lawyer should be available to answer your questions. Many personal injury lawyers in Houston are very bad about this, to the point where they spend more time dodging their clients than they would talking to them and answering their questions. Many insist that their staff should handle the client while they tend to the “lawyerly” work. This is nonsense. While it is okay to have staff answer the simple questions, you have every right to talk to your lawyer directly and have them, not their staff, answer questions about your case. You hired a lawyer, not a legal secretary. You have a right to reap the benefit of their education and experience. If the lawyer is too busy to talk to their clients, then they should either hire associate lawyers or stop accepting new cases until they can catch up.
This starts with the lawyer’s staff. Everyone in your lawyer’s office should be courteous, organized, polite, attentive, respectful, and dedicated to helping each client navigate through what is often a very trying experience. You should expect complete confidentiality, which means the staff should not be gossiping about what is in your medical records, your settlement offers, or gossiping about you in general. Unless you have given express permission to discuss your case with your spouse or anyone else, they will be politely told that we cannot discuss your case with them. In fact, we cannot even disclose that you are a client.
After many years of helping clients, I fully understand that physical pain can make a person crabby, irritable, and hard to deal with. Even on those days when the client is all of those things, the lawyer and/or their staff should respond with courtesy, respect, and understanding. I also understand that nothing makes a client feel more frustrated than being disregarded and ignored. The most common complaint I hear when clients call me about firing their lawyer and hiring me is that the lawyer has never talked to them, never returns their calls, and is never available to meet with them and discuss their case. At the Law Offices of Robert Rodriguez, we are always available to our clients.
Your lawyer should be honest not just with you but with opposing counsel and judges. If they promised they would file suit on Monday but suit wasn’t filed, they should explain why it wasn’t filed and not mislead you by falsely stating it was filed. If they think the settlement offer is too low and a jury would probably do better, they should tell you that even though it would be more expedient for them to take the offer and close the case. In other words, they should have your interest in mind and not their own. This is what the Canons of Ethics require, and this is only right. My law school Ethics professor used to say, “If you take care of your clients, they will take care of you.” And this is just as true today as it was when I was a law student. A lawyer should keep their focus on their client’s best interest, and everything else will fall into place.
More importantly, your lawyer should enjoy a good reputation with opposing counsel and judges. Not as a pushover, but as a zealous fighter for their clients, a worthy opponent, a person of their word, a person of integrity, and a lawyer who is always well-prepared. They should be early to hearings and appointments. Their word should be their bond. They should treat opposing counsel and judges with respect, courtesy, and professionalism. They should observe all of the Rules of Ethics and stay out of trouble with the State Bar. Your lawyer’s reputation, after all, reflects on you and your case.
When your case closes, your lawyer should disburse funds with a full accounting of case expenses, medical payments, and fees. They should do this in writing. In my office, it is called a settlement breakdown. Every penny is accounted for so that the client knows exactly how much is going to expenses, which doctors have been paid, how much the lawyer is collecting as their fee, and how much the client is netting. All expenses are documented in the file with check stubs showing the date of payment, amount paid, and check number. The client should keep this breakdown for their records in case any questions come up about who was paid and who was not.
I have been practicing law for more than four decades, and I can honestly say that those years of experience have not only made me a better lawyer but also a better person. From my first job out of law school as an assistant District lawyer in Harris County, I learned how to try cases, how to use the law and the facts to my advantage, how to feel comfortable in front of judges and juries, and how to respect and help the people I was representing – victims of crimes. I learned the value of hard work as applied to a lawyer, which meant being prepared, being ethical, fair, and ever-mindful that I was building a reputation among judges and other lawyers that crossed my path. I usually had four to six cases set for trial each Monday, so that meant I worked Saturdays and Sundays reading case files and talking to witnesses. I did not want to disappoint the victim who was relying on me to see that justice was done.
The years working as an assistant District lawyer, as well as years working on civil matters in private law firms, allowed me to observe and learn. From the good lawyers, I learned what was expected of a good lawyer and what it takes to be a good lawyer. From the bad lawyers, I learned to avoid bad work habits, like being lazy about preparation, being disorganized, being disrespectful to clients by not taking their calls and even lying to them about the work being done on their cases. These years of experience taught me to always be organized, honest, hard-working, and professional. I always remembered what one of my law professors had taught me – take care of your clients and they will take care of you. It was in those early years that I learned to treat clients like family.
Over the years, I have also come to know that knowing the law is only a small part of being a good lawyer. You have to also be a good negotiator, a skillful orator, a sympathetic listener, and a sharp observer. You have to be comfortable in the courtroom. When conducting direct or cross-examination in front of a jury, it must not appear like a grilling nor like a series of questions where boxes are being checked – it must appear like the lawyer is having a conversation with the witness on the stand – a skill that takes years and many hours of trial work to perfect.
Over the years I have handled many different types of personal injury cases and have seen just about every type of injury imaginable. I have read hundreds of thousands of pages of medical records and have become knowledgeable enough in the science of medicine to be able to explain injuries, treatment plans, medications, and procedures to my clients. Usually, my first conversation with a client involves more of a discussion about their injuries and treatment than about the law. Most of my clients tell me these discussions have put them at ease and many of my clients tell me I have explained their condition better than their own doctor.
Empower your case with the guidance of our dedicated personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Rodriguez. If you or a loved one has been injured, don’t hesitate — Call 713-491-4205 to reach us at our Houston-based office or contact us today for a free consultation. Let us navigate the legal complexities while you focus on your recovery. Your journey to fair compensation begins with a simple call.
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