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Jul 23, 2026
Keep in mind that hiring a personal injury attorney is a very important decision. Ask as many questions as you want during your free, no-obligation initial consultation, and most importantly trust your gut! Your attorney should instill confidence, be easy to talk to, and able to answer your questions in a clear fashion.
Finding the right attorney for your case can be difficult. The State Bar of Arizona regulates roughly 18,500 active attorneys across the state. There are many choices, so how do you know when you have found the right Arizona car accident attorney for your case?
Finding the right attorney means finding someone who practices in the legal area that you are concerned about. If you have been in an accident, then you likely need a personal injury lawyer. At Bleaman Law Firm, P.C., you will work directly with the attorney, not a case manager or handler.
You should make sure your potential attorney has courtroom experience and has tried cases to a jury. Feel free to ask these questions. For insurance companies to take your injury claim seriously, your attorney’s experience should go well beyond the ability to negotiate with adjusters. Your attorney should have the skill set needed to take your case to court should that be what’s best for you.
“Marc is an excellent person to work with. His knowledge with insurance companies, and expectations of them. He was always available when I had any doubts or questions, either by phone or email. He is upfront and dedicated. I would recommend him as one of the greatest lawyers I’ve worked with! – Jania”
MAKE SURE YOUR LAWYER TAKES TIME TO GO THROUGH YOUR VERSION OF THE EVENTS, ASKS QUESTIONS, AND REALLY LISTENS.
Good attorneys are good listeners and masters at collecting critical informational details. The attorney right for you and your case will listen to your side of the story and ask you follow-up questions to get more information. He or she will also take the time to talk to you about your injuries and go through your list of potential damages so your recovery fits with your situation. If the attorney seems distracted or inattentive, this probably is not the right lawyer for you.
“My parents arrived to your office full of anxiety and worry, but after speaking with you, felt so much more confident that this would come to a full resolution. The events very closely happened how you described they would, and they continue to speak of that meeting with you as such an encouraging moment for them. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us, for your professionalism, your knowledge, but most of all for your compassion and genuine kindness you displayed. It truly meant the world to them and our family! – Annie”
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN TRUST YOUR ATTORNEY
Trust is a must in any attorney-client relationship. You need to be able to trust this person with very personal information such as your medical history, work history, and other very private information. You also need to be able to trust this person with your case. You should be able to walk away from your first meeting with your attorney and know that your case is in good hands.
If you do not have this trust, you will hesitate to tell your attorney important information about your case. You may also worry about deadlines or whether anything is being done. This adds unneeded stress to an already stressful situation. Find a lawyer that you trust with your information and with your case.
“Marc successfully helped us resolve issues related to our business. His logical approach to legal matters is demonstrated by his ability to understand issues. His focus on factual information to determine recommendations is very precise and helped us quickly gain insight based on his expertise. Marc was very easy to communicate our challenges with and he was able to comprehend issues that were very specific to our business. His knowledge of the law and his ability to earn respect by clients (as well as the opposition) creates the success he deserves. – Debby”
YOUR ATTORNEY GIVES YOU A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND CALMNESS
A skilled personal injury attorney will be able to calm your nerves. He or she will be able to explain complex legal topics to you in a way that makes sense and will honestly lay out all the pros and cons of your case.
Your lawyer should be straightforward in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident about your case. If you are still worried at the end of your initial meeting, then your attorney is not doing his or her job.
“Marc handled my legal matters with professionalism and knowledge that exceeded my expectations. He and his staff helped me with a successful outcome to my lawsuit. Being involved in a lawsuit is a very time-consuming and stressful process. Marc made me feel comfortable throughout the process by always keeping me in the loop and responding to my many questions in a timely and easy-to-understand manner. I would highly recommend Marc to any one of my friends and family. – Carol”
Start With the Free Consultation, and Come Prepared
Most personal injury lawyers offer a free first meeting, and it is the best chance you have to size up the person before you commit. Treat it like an interview that runs both directions. Bring the police or incident report, any photos, the names of treating doctors, and a short timeline of what happened, then use the time to ask direct questions.
A few questions tend to reveal the most:
- Who will actually handle my case day to day, the attorney or a case manager?
- How many cases like mine have you taken to trial, and what happened?
- How will you communicate with me, and how quickly do you return calls?
- What is my case worth, and what could reduce that number?
- Will I owe anything if we do not win, and who advances the case costs in the meantime?
You are not being difficult by asking these things. A confident attorney welcomes them, and the answers tell you far more than any advertisement can. If the responses feel vague or rushed, that itself is useful information.
Understand How a Personal Injury Lawyer Gets Paid
Fees decide how much of your recovery you actually keep, so this conversation belongs in the first meeting, not the last. Most Arizona personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee, which means you pay no attorney fee up front and the lawyer is paid a percentage of what they recover for you.
If there is no recovery, there is no attorney fee in Arizona. The percentage is often around a third and can rise if the case goes into litigation, but there is no fixed statewide rate, so it is worth comparing.
Under Arizona’s ethics rules (ER 1.5), a contingency fee has to be reasonable, put in writing, and signed by you, and the agreement must spell out how the fee is calculated and which expenses come out of your recovery. Ask whether case costs, things like filing fees, expert witnesses, and medical records, are deducted before or after the fee is figured, because that order changes your final check.
A trustworthy lawyer will walk you through the written agreement line by line and give you a clear closing statement at the end showing exactly where every dollar went. Ask, too, how the firm handles medical liens and unpaid bills, because those are repaid from your share and can quietly shrink what actually reaches you.
Weigh Real Trial Experience, Not Just Settlements
Many firms advertise large settlement totals in Arizona, but a settlement number alone does not tell you whether a lawyer can win in front of a jury. Insurance companies track which attorneys actually try cases and which always settle. A lawyer with a genuine trial record carries more leverage in negotiation, because the other side knows a lowball offer risks ending up before a jury.
Ask about verdicts, not just settlements, and about the kinds of injuries and cases the lawyer handles most. A firm that settles every file quickly may be a volume operation that moves cases through fast rather than fighting for the full value of each one. That approach can work for minor claims, but a serious injury deserves someone prepared to go the distance if the insurer will not pay fairly.
It is fair to ask for examples of cases like yours the lawyer has handled and how each resolved, so you can judge whether their real experience matches the promise in the advertising.
Verify the Attorney’s Standing With the State Bar
Before you sign anything, confirm the lawyer is licensed and in good standing. The State Bar of Arizona keeps a public record of every licensed attorney, including any history of formal discipline, and you can look up a name in a couple of minutes at no cost. A clean record is not a guarantee of a good outcome, but a pattern of discipline is a clear reason to keep looking.
It is also worth a quick search of the lawyer’s reviews and results beyond their own website. Look for consistency between what the firm promises and what past clients describe, and pay attention to how the lawyer responds when a review is less than perfect. How a firm handles criticism often mirrors how it will handle a hard moment in your case.
Watch for These Warning Signs
A few red flags should give you pause no matter how polished the marketing looks. Be cautious with any lawyer who does the following:
- Guarantees a specific dollar result before reviewing your records, since no honest lawyer can promise an outcome.
- Pressures you to sign immediately or discourages you from reading the fee agreement.
- Cannot tell you who will actually work on your file, or routes you only to staff.
- Has no real trial record but takes only cases that can be settled quickly.
None of these is illegal, and one of them alone may not be disqualifying. Taken together, though, they point to a practice built around speed and volume rather than your particular case.
The right attorney is transparent about fees, honest about risks, and willing to slow down and answer your questions before you ever sign.
Talk to Bleaman Law Firm, P.C. | Best Personal Injury Lawyer
If you are weighing your options after an injury, the Bleaman Law Firm, P.C. offers a free consultation where you work directly with the attorney, not a handler. Marc Bleaman spent years on the insurance-defense side before representing injured people, so he knows how carriers evaluate and try to minimize claims.
Ask your questions, review the written fee agreement, and decide for yourself whether it feels like the right fit. To schedule, contact our office or call (520) 323-1808.
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