Personal injury lawyers represent people who were hurt because someone else was careless: car and truck collisions, falls on badly maintained property, dog bites, defective products and on-the-job accidents that fall outside workers' compensation. The claim is usually made against an insurance company rather than the person who caused the harm.
A typical case runs from investigation and medical records through a demand letter, negotiation, and — if the insurer will not pay fairly — a lawsuit. Most settle. Damages normally cover medical bills, lost earnings, future care and pain and suffering.
Before you hire
- Almost all personal injury attorneys work on contingency: no fee unless they recover money. Ask what percentage applies, whether it rises if the case is filed in court, and who pays case costs if you lose.
- Every state sets a deadline for filing. It is strict, it varies by state and by the type of defendant, and missing it usually ends the claim — talk to a lawyer early rather than after the insurer stops returning calls.
- Ask how many cases the firm has actually tried. Insurers price settlements partly on whether your lawyer is willing to go to trial.
Browse the attorneys below by city, or narrow to a related area such as medical malpractice, products liability or workers' compensation.