1. Experience with your specific type of case
"Personal injury" covers everything from a fender-bender to a fatal semi-truck crash. Ask specifically:
- How many {your type} cases have you handled in the last three years?
- What percentage of your practice is personal injury?
- Are you licensed in Colorado, and where do you actually try cases?
2. Trial experience
Insurers know which firms settle everything and which will take a case to a Denver jury. The credible threat of trial is what moves settlement offers up. Ask:
- When did you last try a case to verdict?
- What's your recent trial track record?
3. Fees — read the contingency agreement
Typical Denver contingency fees run 33% before suit and 40% after suit is filed, but details matter:
- Are case costs deducted before or after the fee is calculated?
- Who pays costs if the case loses?
- Are medical liens and health-insurance subrogation negotiated on your behalf?
4. Communication
Who will actually handle your case day-to-day — the lawyer you're meeting, or a paralegal? How often will you get updates? What's a realistic response time to calls and emails? These questions predict your satisfaction more than any other.
5. Independent reviews and discipline history
- Google reviews and Avvo profiles (read the low-star reviews, not just the top).
- The Colorado Supreme Court's Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel lists any public discipline against a Colorado lawyer.
- Bar association memberships and board certifications (nice-to-have, not decisive).
6. Honest case assessment
A good lawyer will tell you the weaknesses of your case in the first meeting. Anyone who promises a specific dollar amount before seeing medical records and the police report is selling, not evaluating.
Red flags
- Guaranteed outcomes or specific dollar promises.
- Pressure to sign the fee agreement immediately.
- Vague answers about who will handle your case.
- Reluctance to put fee structure and costs in writing.
- No recent trial experience combined with "we always settle."