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Six Questions To Ask a Portland Personal Injury Lawyer During a Free Consultation

Six Questions To Ask a Portland Personal Injury Lawyer During a Free Consultation

One of your main purposes in scheduling a consultation should be to discover whether you should hire a lawyer. Following are some questions you could consider asking your prospective attorney to help clarify this matter. 

What Is Your Experience Handling Cases Like Mine?

You definitely need an attorney who focuses on personal injury law.  A “jack of all trades”  lawyer who represents a criminal defendant one day and negotiates a personal injury settlement the next probably lacks the experience you will need. Don’t even consider hiring an attorney who doesn’t focus primarily on personal injury law.

You also need an attorney with experience handling your particular type of case. For example, a lawyer who handles toxic torts and product liability claims is not necessarily qualified to handle your motorcycle accident claim. Following is a short list of some of the different types of personal injury claims for which you might seek a lawyer. Proving each type of claim requires a different set of skills and resources.

  • Product liability;
  • Toxic torts;
  • Vehicle accidents;
  • Medical malpractice;
  • Dog bites;
  • Slip and fall accidents;
  • Workplace accidents;
  • Wrongful death;
  • Nursing home abuse;
  • Negligent security; and
  • Assault.

Research your candidates on the internet, narrow them down to a shortlist, and at your consultation, ask them to provide you with detailed information on their experience.

What Is Your Record at Trial?

Some lawyers act as ”settlement mills.” Settlement mill lawyers work on a high volume/low return system. They typically settle cases for less than they are worth because they are eager to move on to the next case. The way that you identify such lawyers is to ask them about their experiences at trial. Settlement mill lawyers have little or no experience at trial because they settle almost all of their cases.

Instead, select a lawyer with experience in both settling cases and taking them to trial. Ideally, your lawyer should have a fearsome record of success at the trial level. This applies even if you don’t want to take your claim to trial; defendants will quickly settle cases when they don’t want to face the lawyer in court. Remember, however, that simply because the lawyer filed a lawsuit doesn’t mean they took the case all the way to trial.

Negotiation Skill Still Matters

Nevertheless, don’t ignore settlement experience because this is important too. As long as the lawyer has significant trial experience, it is preferable that they also have experience settling cases. The reason is that you probably will want your case to be settled, and you’re going to need an attorney with skill and experience negotiating personal injury claims.

What Is Your Fee Structure?

Don’t just sign on the dotted line. The fee agreement that your lawyer offers you might be filled with legal terminology and difficult-to-understand wording. don’t let this deter you. You need to fully understand the terms of your agreement with the lawyer before you hire them.

Almost any personal injury attorney will offer you a contingency fee structure where legal fees are calculated as a percentage of the amount of money that the attorney wins for you, either in court or at the settlement table. If you find a personal injury attorney who seeks to charge you based on an hourly fee, refuse to hire that attorney. 

Personal injury attorneys typically charge contingency fees of 30% to 40% of your total recovery. These fees tend to be higher if the attorney needs to go all the way to trial on your behalf. Your attorney might also agree to advance your case expenses. Case expenses are additional expenses such as expert witness fees and court fees. Find out who initially pays these fees because your lawyer may or may not agree to pay them in advance.

How Much Is My Claim Worth?

In a sense, this is a trick question. The reason why you might categorize it as a trick question is that if the lawyer attempts to guarantee you that you will win your case or that you will win a certain amount of money, you should terminate the consultation immediately and seek another lawyer.

On the other hand, one of the main reasons you might schedule a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer is to find out how much your case is worth. The lawyer should question you and then use the information you give them to arrive at a ballpark estimate of the value of your claim. If they answer by providing you with a range of values and then tell you that it is only a ballpark estimate, they might provide you with valuable information. 

How Long Do You Think My Claim Will Take To Resolve?

The average personal injury claim takes between a few weeks and a few months to resolve. Nevertheless, your claim might not be typical. The larger your claim, the longer it is likely to take to resolve. Likewise, the complexity of your claim could add to the time you need to resolve it. Finally, anytime there is a trial, you are likely to have to wait a long time to get your money.

No credible lawyer will guarantee a particular time frame. For example, “I can resolve your claim in three weeks” should ring alarm bells. The lawyer should gather information from you and express the timeline of your case in terms of a range of values. 

Ideally, the lawyer will give you two different answers. The first answer should tell you about how long it will take to settle your case. The second answer will tell you how long your case will take if it goes to trial.

How Will You Communicate With Me Throughout the Process?

Lack of communication is one of the most common complaints that clients level against their lawyers. Try to pin the lawyer down on how they will communicate with you and how often they will do so. Observe just how much the lawyer will offer you without you pressing them too hard. That is more likely to be an accurate indicator of how much communication the lawyer will actually offer you. 

You Have Little To Lose and Everything To Gain By Hiring a Portland Personal Injury Attorney

Hiring the wrong Portland personal injury attorney could be a disastrous move on your part. However, scheduling a free initial consultation with Tillmann Law Personal Injury Lawyers has very little downside. Since you’re not obligated to hire the lawyer, your risk is almost zero except for the time you spend. Call (503) 272-8986 today!

Justin Vieth
Justin Vieth
1692118893
Shimmeri Selph
Shimmeri Selph
1691385552
Don't waste your time.
Alan Rogers
Alan Rogers
1691175931
Thanks Aaron, we truly appreciate everything you have done for us.I know that I was a handful early on, but you handled it with a deft touch and ultimately proved yourself to be a great advocate for our family none the less.Thanks so much Bud!You have my eternal respect and gratitude.
Tim Cheredayko
Tim Cheredayko
1689376069
Tillmann helped me out a lot! Going over ever detail with the case from both sides and always informing me what is going to happen through out the case. Definitely recommend Tillmann Law!
A B
A B
1689034229
Rude. Classist. The receptionist needs some manners. Actually hung up when told was a low income family.
Justin W
Justin W
1688167505
I had the pleasure of working with Aaron and his team over the course of the last year. They were very professional and responsive. Dealing with injuries can be dreadful, but Aaron made it as painless as possible. I highly recommend.
Bonnie Thorn
Bonnie Thorn
1686939262
Aaron Tillmann and his entire staff were professional, empathetic and very knowledgeable. They assisted our family at a time when we were grieving the loss of our son with compassion and respect.
Tina Rutledge
Tina Rutledge
1683316276
Arisbet Bustos
Arisbet Bustos
1682535580
I am very grateful and pleased with the services of Lawyer Aaron and his team work, especially Julia, who was always attentive to my concerns and resolved my doubts with a good attitude and empathy, and best of all, she speaks Spanish. Thank you so much!!!
Ken Pollett
Ken Pollett
1682394554
I was involved in a serious auto accident. Not that there is a good time to be in any accident, it just happened to be 2020. Tillman Law and support staff kept me in the loop as the court system was disarray with all the Covid issues. The staff was very professional and courteous. In a nutshell, they took care of me.
Jordan Bedrick
Jordan Bedrick
1682367951
My husband was in a bad car accident a few years back, and he was stopped due to traffic. He was behind a fuel truck, and someone rear-ended him, going 60mph. The worst part was our 6 mo old was in our and the truck was totaled beyond repair and my husbands back injured severly he ended up with 2 broken vertebrae. Our child had ptsd any time getting into a vehicle after that. Tillman made this right even though we couldn't do much for our son other comfort him and make car rides more comfortable from there on out Tillman was able to get my husband the money he deserved after the other driver was extremely negligent and either not paying attention or on his phone or something unfortunately this was during covid and when the police came they didnt do a single thing to check for any of that. We can't say enough good things about Aaron Tillman he gave us our hope back and the ability to have back surgery to repair a lot of his back issues due to the car wreck. So if you have been in an accident definitely call Tillman Law they're amazing super professional, kind and empathetic beings who will work for the best possible outcome for your case and fight they won't just roll over and play dead they spent about 2.5 years on my husbands case never giving up. He was always super honest with my husband and always communicated everything. So again, thank you, Aaron Tillman, and thank you to your law firm for working so tirelessly. We appreciate it more than you know.
Cassie Kocker
Cassie Kocker
1679485024
Aaron is great. He is professional and personable which makes you feel cared about during the process. He will provide advice and resources so that the process is smooth and renders positive results. I highly recommend!
Michael Darling (Mike Rich)
Michael Darling (Mike Rich)
1678578656
Still working with them to this day! Great firm great people. Much recommend
Brittany Sloan
Brittany Sloan
1678128693
I can’t recommend Tillman Law enough. We were in a sticky situation from a car accident in December and my partner was out of work for over a month. Aaron told us we may not be able to get those lost wages, but he would definitely try to fight the insurance for them and even then we might not see the money for a long time. It’s only been 3 1/2 months since the accident and we just got our lost funds today. Tillman Law was quick, efficient, and made this entire situation much less painful. I appreciate everything they’ve done for us.
Hazel Ault
Hazel Ault
1676408436
Jennifer nelson
Jennifer nelson
1675127322
Great experience
Oksana Pavlenko
Oksana Pavlenko
1660939351
Really pleased with my experience at Tillmann Law. Mr. Tillmann and his team were on top of my case, worked hard to answer any questions I had and finished my case in a timely manner. I was really happy with the outcome . Thank you!
Robert Swanson
Robert Swanson
1659227101
Tucker Earp
Tucker Earp
1658161927
Linette Figueroa
Linette Figueroa
1634884433
Mr. Tillman took care of my care seamlessly! He immediately hopped on my case immediately and guided me through the entire process. His team is professional, organized and well-resourced! He even went back to ensure the settlement was beyond fair. If you want someone who will fight tooth and nail on your behalf- Mr. Tillman is your lawyer!
Robert Aley
Robert Aley
1634841379
I am so happy to promote Aaron and his team. They did such an amazing job handling my case. Call them if you need service. I called him when I first needed help with my accident and he called me back within five minutes. This team is so great! I am so happy to have worked with them.
Teresa Ochoa
Teresa Ochoa
1633214433
Mr. Tillmann and his paralegal Jason were fantastic to work with! They were always available to answer my questions in a timely manner and delivered a very good outcome after I was rear ended. I would recommend their services to anyone.
Roro Roro
Roro Roro
1631419364
Amazing team at the Tillman Law, LLC . His work speaks for it self. Thank you for being professional and above all understanding to different people. God bless everyone that works there .
Mercury Nightstone
Mercury Nightstone
1628733283
Aaron and his staff, especially Jason, were all extremely courteous, timely, and professional. Highly recommend, truly appreciate your hard work!
Danielle Martin
Danielle Martin
1627923620
The Tillman Law Firm is amazing! I have been very pleased with everyone that I came in contact with concerning my case. They filed the case against the insurance company and fought hard in litigation to get what rightfully was taken from me. I would highly recommend them, they are the best in the Portland metro area!
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