By Brian Beckcom, founding partner of VB Attorneys in Houston. Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2006.
The short answer: Choose a personal injury or wrongful death lawyer by checking relevant experience, verifiable credentials, who will lead your case, and the written fee agreement. For a maritime or Jones Act case, ask about the lawyer’s work for injured seamen and the evidence your case requires. AI can help you prepare; the hiring decision requires a conversation and your own judgment.
After a serious injury or a death in the family, choosing a lawyer is one more difficult decision at a time when you already have too many. A search for a personal injury lawyer, wrongful death attorney, or maritime injury lawyer can produce a long list. The useful question is whether the lawyer you hire can explain how they would approach your case.
I have spent more than two decades representing injured people and families. I also hold degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy. I am interested in what technology can help us understand, and where a person still has to exercise judgment. Here is how I would prepare for the hiring conversation.
Go to the seven questions · Verify credentials and results · Understand fees · Choosing a maritime or Jones Act lawyer
What should you look for in a personal injury or wrongful death lawyer?
Start with four things: experience with the problem you face, evidence of preparation for trial, a clear explanation of who will do the work, and financial terms you understand. Board certification is a useful credential to verify. It is one part of the assessment, alongside relevant experience and the quality of the conversation.
Ask the lawyer to explain a case they personally handled: what was disputed, what evidence changed the picture, and what role they played. A firm’s total recoveries do not tell you whether the person in front of you did that work. A settlement can be an excellent result; a trial can be necessary. The question is whether the lawyer prepares well enough to advise you responsibly about both.
In my experience, credible trial preparation matters in negotiations. It sits alongside the evidence, liability disputes, the injury’s consequences, available coverage and the ability to collect a judgment. No single credential or reputation determines what a case is worth.
How do you choose a maritime or Jones Act lawyer?
Start by describing your job, your connection to the vessel, where the injury happened, and who employed you. Not every injury near the water is a Jones Act case. A lawyer should investigate which legal framework applies before giving you a confident answer.
For a potential Jones Act claim, ask about experience representing injured seamen, investigating employer negligence, and addressing maintenance and cure. Ask whether unseaworthiness or another maritime claim may apply. If someone died offshore, ask how the location and circumstances may affect the available wrongful death claims. You do not need to arrive knowing the legal labels. Explaining them is part of the lawyer’s job.
Then get practical. What vessel records should be preserved? Who should be interviewed? Could photographs, voyage information, safety procedures, medical records or electronic data help establish what happened? Experience should produce a focused investigation plan, not just a list of maritime terms. Our maritime injury guide explains the broader practice.
One example from my work is the $10 million Jones Act recovery for a towboat captain who developed botulism after eating aboard his vessel. I led that case with Vuk Vujasinovic. The investigation examined food safety, the response to his illness and the care he would need for the rest of his life. That is the kind of explanation to request: what the lawyer investigated and why it mattered.
What changes when you are hiring for a wrongful death or trucking case?
For a wrongful death case, ask who may bring the claims, whether an estate representative is needed, which deadlines require attention, and how the lawyer will document the family’s losses. The answers depend on the facts and applicable law. A careful lawyer should explain what is known and what still needs checking.
For a serious truck crash, ask about preserving vehicle and electronic evidence, investigating the driver and motor carrier, and identifying other potentially responsible parties when the evidence supports it. In the $29,920,310 trucking recovery that Vuk and I co-led, digital evidence was central to investigating distracted driving. A police report is a starting point; ask what further investigation the facts call for.
How can you verify the lawyer’s credentials and case experience?
- Check the credential at its source. My TBLS profile lists Personal Injury Trial Law certification since 2006. You can use the TBLS lawyer search to check another lawyer. Certification reflects specialist qualifications; it is not a guarantee of an outcome.
- Check the licensing record. The State Bar of Texas profile for Brian Beckcom is separate from our website. Review a lawyer’s license status and available public disciplinary information.
- Ask for cases you can identify. Request the case name, court, case number and the lawyer’s role when those details can be disclosed. Court records can help verify participation and proceedings. They do not, by themselves, show everything about the quality of representation.
- Distinguish a firm’s account from an independent record. The linked case-result pages explain our work. They are our accounts of those matters. Ask for available public records or independent reporting when you want further verification.
Some settlements include confidentiality agreements. That is different from saying a court sealed the record. Neither a confidential settlement nor the absence of a public dollar amount establishes that a result was unusually large. Ask what the lawyer can appropriately explain without breaching a client’s confidence.
For example, I was lead counsel for nine crew members in the Maersk Alabama piracy litigation. The published case summary identifies my role and the nature of the work; the recoveries were confidential. Prior results depend on each case’s facts and do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Seven questions to ask before hiring a lawyer
Download the seven-question consultation checklist (PDF). Print one copy for each lawyer you interview. Use the space for notes to record who will lead your case, the examples provided and anything you still need answered.
- Who will lead my case, and what will that lawyer personally do?
Listen for: specific responsibility for strategy, key depositions, negotiations and trial, plus whom you can call. A team can be valuable; responsibility should be clear. - What experience do you have with cases like mine?
Listen for: recent examples, the lawyer’s role and relevant trials. For a vessel injury, ask specifically about representing seamen in Jones Act cases. - What credentials and results can I verify?
Listen for: direct credential links and public case names or court records where available, with an honest explanation of confidentiality limits. - What does your current workload mean for my case?
Listen for: how the team staffs the work, how often you will hear from them and what happens if your lawyer is unavailable. A case count alone does not answer this. - What do you need to investigate, and what concerns you?
Listen for: evidence to preserve, facts still missing, possible defenses and a reason the firm might decline the matter. Thoughtful uncertainty is more useful than an immediate promise. - What would I receive after fees, costs and other deductions?
Listen for: the written agreement and a worked example. Ask who is responsible for costs if there is no recovery. - How will you help me decide whether to settle or go to trial?
Listen for: an explanation of the evidence, uncertainty, timing and trial risks. The lawyer should advise you and explain your settlement decision without promising a number.
How should you compare contingency fees?
A contingency fee generally pays the lawyer a stated share of the recovery. Before signing, focus on what the agreement means for the money you would receive and the expenses you could owe. “No fee unless we win” addresses the attorney’s fee; ask separately how the contract treats case expenses if there is no recovery.
Have the lawyer identify the percentage, any changes at litigation or appeal stages, the expenses deducted, whether expenses come out before or after the fee calculation, and any other charges. Ask about medical liens or reimbursement claims that could affect your net recovery. In Texas, the State Bar’s explanation of Rule 1.04 describes the written agreement and expense-calculation requirements.
A simple illustration: Suppose a recovery is $100,000, the agreed fee is 40%, and case expenses are $10,000. If the fee is calculated on the full recovery, $50,000 remains after that fee and those expenses. If expenses are deducted first and the fee is 40% of the remaining $90,000, $54,000 remains. This illustrates the calculation only; it is not a VB Attorneys fee quote, a prediction of case value, or an allowance for medical liens and other obligations.
Ask each lawyer to work through an example using the actual agreement they want you to sign. Keep a copy. You should understand the terms before deciding whom to hire.
Why can’t AI make the hiring decision for you?
AI can help you research a lawyer, compare public information, and prepare questions. It can also summarize an agreement you provide, although its explanation needs checking. What a public recommendation cannot independently establish is the lawyer’s confidential results, how the lawyer will handle your case, or whether you trust that person’s judgment. Use the research to prepare for a conversation with the lawyer.
Ask an AI tool for the sources behind its claims, open the links and check that they support the answer. Public information may be incomplete or outdated. A useful next prompt is: “What should I verify directly before relying on this recommendation?” Then bring those questions to the consultation.
What should you do next?
Arrange a conversation with the lawyer who would lead the case. Notice whether they listen, explain uncertainty and give you room to ask questions. You are choosing someone to help you make consequential decisions over time. You should leave with a clearer understanding of the work ahead.
If you are considering VB Attorneys for a serious personal injury, wrongful death, maritime or Jones Act matter, request a free consultation or call (877) 724-7800. Tell us what happened, when and where it happened, and who was involved. Bring the seven questions. We can discuss whether the matter fits our practice, who would lead it and what information we need next.
For a closer look at the process, read Working With Brian Beckcom on a Jones Act Injury Case.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a board certified personal injury lawyer?
Board certification is a useful credential to verify alongside relevant experience, responsibility for your case and communication. My TBLS profile lists Personal Injury Trial Law certification since 2006. Certification does not guarantee a result.
How does a contingency fee work?
The lawyer receives an agreed share of a recovery. The written agreement should explain the fee calculation and treatment of expenses. Ask separately what costs you could owe without a recovery and what other deductions may affect your payment.
How long does a serious injury or wrongful death case take?
There is no reliable timetable without reviewing the case. Medical recovery, investigation, court schedules, disputed liability and possible appeals affect timing. Ask for a realistic range, the reasons for it and updates as the case develops.
What questions should I ask a personal injury lawyer before hiring them?
Ask who will lead the case, what relevant experience they have, what you can verify, how the workload affects communication, what needs investigating, how fees affect your net recovery, and how they will advise you about settlement or trial.
Can AI recommend the best lawyer for my case?
AI can suggest candidates, compare sources and summarize documents you provide. Those outputs need checking. A public recommendation cannot independently establish confidential results, future handling of your case or your trust in the lawyer’s judgment. Use it to prepare for direct conversations.
What is the difference between a maritime lawyer and a general personal injury lawyer?
A maritime injury lawyer works with the legal rules that may apply to vessel and offshore injuries, including the Jones Act, maintenance and cure, unseaworthiness and maritime death claims. Ask about experience with your work and circumstances; not every waterfront injury falls under the same law.