Suppose a landscaping company owner breaks her wrist in a collision on the way to a job. Her crews can still work, but she cannot drive, quote new jobs, or run equipment.
Customer commitments keep arriving. She needs a personal injury lawyer who can assess how her injury affects her earnings and business.
Focus on relevant experience, the evidence you can bring, and the working terms you sign.
FindLaw’s selection guidance cautions that no lawyer can guarantee total success in a lawsuit. Use the consultation to assess how a lawyer would approach your claim.
Key takeaways
- Verify the individual lawyer’s credentials and relevant experience.
- Prepare records of your work and earnings, distinguishing them from company revenue.
- Read fee and expense terms in writing before you sign.
Shortlist lawyers who fit your claim
Relevant experience. The adviser who set up your LLC or reviews your leases may be a trusted contact, but a personal injury claim needs a lawyer who handles the type of accident and injury you have.
Ask each candidate about their experience with comparable claims, how they prepare when responsibility for the accident or the extent of injury is disputed, and what the usual stages look like. Past results describe other people’s cases and cannot predict yours.
Independent checks. FindLaw’s selection overview lists practice area, costs, reputation, and specialization as factors to weigh together. Reviews can help you form questions, but they shouldn’t replace credential checks.
The State Bar of Texas selection pamphlet points readers to a lawyer directory that lists public disciplinary actions, giving you a source beyond a firm’s own biography. Look up the specific lawyer who would handle your file.
For a Houston injury claim, Mostyn Law is one firm worth including in your research. The firm handles a range of personal injury claims across Greater Houston, from car and truck accidents to catastrophic injuries, and its homepage directly addresses lost income and loss of earning capacity.
Confirm that the lawyer proposed for your file handles your type of injury, and ask how they would assess the effect on your work.
Texas readers seeking an initial conversation can also consider the State Bar of Texas referral program, which describes a consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than $20.
That offer applies only to participating lawyers through the program, so don’t treat it as a general market rate.
Ask early about deadlines that may apply to your claim. They vary by state and claim type, so don’t wait until you have gathered every record before seeking local legal advice.
Use the consultation to test income-loss expertise
Use the consultation to see how the lawyer would connect your work restrictions to documented changes in your earnings. Time away from work is often the point where legal advice starts to matter; this legal and medical roadmap after a car accident lists being unable to return to work as one sign it’s time to speak with a lawyer.
Bring a coherent record. The IRS recordkeeping guidance for small businesses explains that receipts, invoices, and similar documents support the income you report, and the same records help a lawyer see what your work produced before the accident.
Match your timeline to your medical and business records. A practical packet could include:
- accident details, including any police or incident report you already have;
- medical records and written work restrictions;
- recent tax returns and profit-and-loss statements;
- invoices, contracts, and calendars showing scheduled work;
- correspondence about delayed or cancelled jobs;
- a dated account of the days and tasks you could not perform.
If you paid someone to cover your role or lost a contract while recovering, bring those invoices and emails too. Counsel will need to assess whether those costs or losses belong in your claim.
Separate the owner from the business. How a loss is analyzed can depend on your business structure and who legally suffered it.
Use that point to frame questions for local counsel: How would they distinguish your personal earnings from company revenue? How do continuing business expenses fit in? Could the business itself have a claim?
A careful answer should explain what further information the lawyer needs before estimating a loss.
For a New Jersey claim, an owner could consult an [accident attorney](GGL TARGET URL) at Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq about how their medical and business records would be assessed.
The firm lists personal injury, workers’ compensation, and medical malpractice among its practice areas, so ask which, if any, applies to your circumstances.
Identify the person responsible. Super Lawyers’ consultation guidance recommends asking who will handle the case day to day. Don’t assume it will be the lawyer in the advertisement or first meeting. ABA Model Rule 1.4 identifies keeping clients reasonably informed as a communication responsibility.
Ask who your contact will be, which work staff will handle, how often you can expect updates, and how document requests will reach you while you are running a business.
Check the written agreement before choosing
Fees and case expenses. Many personal injury firms advertise that they are paid only if they recover money for you. That describes a general fee approach, but it doesn’t establish a percentage or complete expense terms for your case.
ABA Model Rule 1.5 addresses whether expenses are deducted before or after the contingency fee is calculated. Treat that as a contract question rather than assuming identical rules apply in every state.
The written agreement should explain both the lawyer’s fee and how case expenses affect any amount you receive.
Before signing, ask how the fee is calculated, which expenses are deducted and when, what you owe if there is no recovery, and what happens if either side ends the representation. Compare each firm’s written answers:
| Point to compare | What a clear written answer covers |
| Scope of work | Which claims and tasks are included, and which are not |
| Responsible lawyer | Named attorney and the staff who assist |
| Update arrangements | Who contacts you, how, and how often |
| Fee and expense calculation | Fee basis, expense treatment, and what you owe if nothing is recovered |
Keep decision-making clear. ABA Model Rule 1.2 states that a lawyer shall abide by a client’s decision whether to settle a matter. Ask any firm you consider how settlement offers will be presented, how the lawyer will explain their implications, and how much time you will have to weigh them.
Conclusion
An injury that keeps you off the job affects more than your health; it can reach your income, your crews, and your customer commitments. The right lawyer will ask about all of it. Shortlist candidates with experience in your type of claim, arrive at the consultation with organized medical and business records, and get every fee, expense, and communication term in writing.
If a consultation leaves questions unanswered, ask for clarification before signing, and make sure any agreed changes appear in the written agreement.
FAQ
How do personal injury lawyers usually charge?
Many work on contingency, meaning their fee comes from any recovery. The percentage and the treatment of case expenses vary, so rely on the written agreement rather than advertising.
Can a business owner claim lost income after an accident?
Possibly, but it depends on how your business is structured and who legally suffered the loss. Tax returns, invoices, and records of cancelled work help a lawyer assess what can be claimed.
Should I wait until I finish treatment before contacting a lawyer?
No. Filing deadlines vary by state and claim type, so it’s safer to get local legal advice early and keep gathering records as treatment continues.
