Quick Answer

A consultation is your opportunity to evaluate both the case and the firm. The best questions reveal experience, responsibility, communication, cost, and preparedness. Write down the answers so you can compare substance rather than relying on which presentation felt most polished.

Key Takeaways

  • Ask About Relevant Experience and Listen for Specifics. Ask whether the lawyer regularly handles Florida car accident claims and cases involving injuries and coverage issues like yours.
  • Find Out Who Will Be Responsible for Your Case. Ask for the name or role of your primary contact, the supervising lawyer, and the lawyer who would handle a lawsuit or trial.
  • Ask What the Firm Would Do During the First 30 Days. A prepared lawyer should be able to identify time-sensitive evidence.

This guidance draws on an August 25, 2026 interview with Orlando car accident lawyer Michael T. Gibson of Michael T. Gibson, P.A., Auto Justice Attorney. Gibson’s observations are identified as such, and Florida timing rules are linked to the controlling statutes.

Ask About Relevant Experience and Listen for Specifics

Ask whether the lawyer regularly handles Florida car accident claims and cases involving injuries and coverage issues like yours. Follow up with: What makes my situation routine, and what makes it difficult? The response should be specific enough to show that the lawyer has listened.

After the consultations, compare each firm’s answers in the same categories: relevant auto experience, early investigation, insurance analysis, team responsibility, communication, fees, settlement authority, and trial preparation. A polished presentation can be persuasive while leaving those practical questions unanswered.

Write down who will handle the file and what the firm said it would do first. Note whether the lawyer identified uncertainties or promised a result. Gibson emphasized being clear about what the law and the firm can actually do. A lawyer who discusses limits may give you a more reliable picture than one who treats every case as certain.

The final choice should reflect both competence and working fit. You need a team that can investigate and litigate the claim, but you also need a system through which questions, updates, and decisions will reach you. The questions in the consultation are valuable because they expose that system before you sign the agreement.

Find Out Who Will Be Responsible for Your Case

Ask for the name or role of your primary contact, the supervising lawyer, and the lawyer who would handle a lawsuit or trial. Also ask how quickly calls are returned and how the firm reports meaningful developments. A clear team answer is better than a vague promise of personal attention.

Ask What the Firm Would Do During the First 30 Days

A prepared lawyer should be able to identify time-sensitive evidence. That may include a crash report, scene or vehicle photographs, witness information, nearby camera footage, medical records, and the applicable insurance policies. Gibson emphasized that evidence can become harder to recover as time passes.

The answer should identify the early investigation, not simply say that the firm will contact the insurance company. Ask whether the firm will obtain the report, request available camera footage, contact witnesses, photograph the vehicles, review insurance policies, and organize medical information. Then ask which of those steps apply to your facts.

Gibson said the first days and first month can contain critical decisions. Video may be overwritten, witnesses may become difficult to locate, and an inaccurate account can become harder to correct. A lawyer who can prioritize those issues is giving you a view of the actual work rather than a generic description of representation.

Test How the Lawyer Thinks About Risk, Coverage, and Medical Proof

This question tests candor. Listen for discussion of delayed treatment, inconsistent accounts, gaps in documentation, disputed fault, prior injuries, social media, or an early release. The answer will vary with the facts, but it should not pretend that every case is certain.

Ask which insurance policies the lawyer expects to investigate and why. Florida claims may involve property coverage, personal injury protection benefits, liability insurance, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. If an employer, commercial vehicle, or additional responsible party is involved, the coverage analysis may expand.

The lawyer should explain that available insurance can limit practical recovery without assuming the result before obtaining the policies. A strong answer separates what is known from what must be verified. It should also explain what the firm does when the at-fault driver has little or no bodily-injury coverage.

Medical records do more than show that an appointment occurred. They may document when symptoms began, what the provider observed, which tests were ordered, how treatment progressed, and whether the condition affects work or daily activities. Ask how the firm gathers that record and addresses gaps, prior injuries, or disputes about causation.

Gibson explained that delayed care gives an insurer room to argue that something other than the collision caused the problem. The lawyer should not tell you to seek unnecessary treatment. The answer should keep health decisions with appropriate medical professionals while explaining why accurate, timely documentation matters to the legal claim.

Understand Fees, Settlement Authority, and Your Responsibilities

Ask for the contingency-fee percentage, how litigation affects it, which costs may be deducted, and what happens if there is no recovery. Read the written agreement before signing. Do not rely on a slogan when the contract controls.

The client decides whether to accept a settlement. Ask how the lawyer evaluates an offer, what information will be provided to you, and whether the recommendation will address fees, costs, medical obligations, timing, and the risks of continuing. You should understand the likely net result, not only the gross number offered by the insurer.

Also ask how the firm handles a release. A release may end claims against the insurer and its insured, which can make a later-discovered injury difficult or impossible to pursue. The lawyer should explain the document and its consequences before asking you to make a final decision.

Representation is not passive. Ask what records, photographs, insurance documents, wage information, and communications you should provide. Learn how the firm wants you to report changes in treatment, work status, contact information, or new insurer requests. A clear answer helps prevent information gaps.

Ask what conduct could make the case harder. Depending on the facts, that may include inaccurate statements, missed appointments, public social-media posts, signing documents without review, or failing to preserve evidence. Candor about client responsibilities is a positive sign. It means the firm is describing a working process rather than promising that the legal team can succeed without the client’s participation.

Ask Whether the Firm Is Prepared to File Suit

Ask about the lawyer’s trial experience and who would try the case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, but the answer can show whether the firm is built to continue when an insurer will not offer a fair resolution.

To ask Michael T. Gibson, P.A. these questions in a free consultation, call 407-422-4529.

Sources

This article provides general information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rights depend on the facts of a particular case.

Michael T. Gibson, Esq.

Michael T. Gibson is lead attorney and president of Michael T. Gibson, P.A., Auto Justice Attorney, a law firm recognized throughout Orlando for experienced car accident lawyers who fight for the injured. Raised in Clearwater and based in Orlando, Michael has tried over a dozen jury trials to verdict and has helped recover millions for injury victims across Central Florida. He frequently lectures on personal injury law and Florida auto insurance.