When considering who to represent you in a personal injury case, it’s essential to have a plan. These six criteria will give you an excellent starting point whether you’re looking for advice in a car accident case or some other injustice. They include:
- Expertise in handling personal injury cases
- Record of settlements and verdicts
- Participation in professional association and groups
- Credible review and testimonials from past clients
- Willingness to work off a contingency fee
- Online presence
Let’s consider each of these points as it applies to the services that Doug Goyen and his firm can provide you.
1. Personal Injury Specialization
The first sentence of the About Page tells you everything you need to know. Doug specializes in personal injury and car accident cases. Clearly, these are his passions. The Law Office of Doug Goyen lists the following types:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- 18-Wheeler / commercial vehicle accidents
- Dog bites
- Product liability
- Wrongful death
- Medical malpractice
- Industrial accidents
- Whiplash, neck, and back injuries
- Brake failure
- Drinking and driving accidents
- Defective seat belts
- Product defects
- Other negligence cases
As you can see, Doug handles a wide diversity of personal injury incidences. The Justica website provides some additional details which include:
- Criminal law
- DUI and DWI
- Insurance bad faith
Doug definitely wants to cover all the bases when it comes to these cases. It’s safe to say that he has this criterion for personal injury in its many forms covered well.
2. History of Verdicts and Settlements
Of course, it’s one thing to list your specialties, but it’s another to have a proven track record. Unfortunately, the Law Office of Doug Goyen doesn’t provide any information about his history of verdicts and settlements. That is one point you’ll need to cover in your initial meeting with the firm.
3. Professional Associations Participation
Doug is a member of several trial lawyer groups including:
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- State Bar of Texas
- Christian Trial Lawyers Association
He certainly has this criterion covered with both state and local Dallas associations covered. They speak to his attention to understanding the specific needs of the area. On another note, he has some family details on the website including a pitch for his wife’s book. That’s certainly a great way for him to create a connection and establish a friendly rapport.
4. Credible Reviews and Testimonials
The true verdict lies with the critique of his services. Doug has that and more. He has a 4.8-star rating on Facebook. As you probably know, these are verified users making these comments. They are filled with statements praising his honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
He also has several reviews on BirdEve where he has a 4.8 rating. The reviewers are identified by their full name for credibility. However, many of them don’t have any written detail and appear to be a pull from the Facebook site. Nevertheless, he definitely fits this criterion from the list, though you may want to review a few of them with him because of the duplication.
5. Contingency Fee
The website is forthcoming in its discussion of contingency fees. As their tagline states, “If we don’t recover, you owe us nothing.” That statement says a lot about the firm’s confidence to provide top service and representation for you. For personal injury cases, one is charged. However, it is a performance-based contract which is a win-win for both the lawyer and the client.
Like many attorneys, Doug offers a free, initial consultation which is a definite plus for both you as a client and the firm. We appreciate a practice that tries to optimize everyone’s time. That would be a good time to iron out the details of what percentage you can expect. This firm earns props for their transparency in this area.
6. Active Online Presence
Doug and his law firm get it when it comes to having an active online presence. They have business profiles for all the major social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn, and Justica. Doug is active on these sites too. When we looked, his last post was seven hours ago.
The website includes a hotlink for his email address if you prefer to correspond that way. We liked the fact that it was out in the open instead of hidden by a contact form PHP script. That’s another strong point in the firm’s favor for transparency.
Conclusion
The Law Office of Doug Goyen meets five out of six or our criteria. You will still need to ask some questions about past verdicts and settlements to better understand his success rate in the courtroom. His website offers a lot of information and excels in its transparency. To his credit, you’ll be able to spend a lot of that free initial consultation on your questions rather than vetting him.
