Choosing the right lawyer to represent your case is the most important decision you’ll make to ensure that justice is served. Fortunately, there are some things that can help steer you in the best direction. Our six criteria to investigate include:
- Personal injury case specialization
- History of successful settlements and verdicts
- Participation in professional associations and lawyer groups
- Client testimonials and reviews
- Willingness to accept contingency fees
- Active online presence
Let’s discuss what we found out about attorney, Harris R. Hughey, to see if he is a good fit for your case.
1. Personal Injury Case Specialization
Harris brings over 15 years of trial lawyer experience to the table. He has a wide range of expertise that includes the following types:
- Personal injury
- Wrongful death
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Criminal defense
- DWI
- Driver’s license suspension
- Traffic tickets
- Wills and probate
- Divorce
- Contracts
According to the Avvo.com website, his caseload includes:
- Criminal defense, 80 percent
- Personal injury, 20 percent
The firm’s website provides this breakdown:
- Criminal defense, 40 percent
- Personal injury, 40 percent
- Other, 20 percent
Harris strives to reach the best settlement in personal injury cases to cover all your expenses with compensation for your pain and suffering no matter what the injury. He also has a unique specialty with equine law representing horse breeders, racers, and trainers. He also offers his services both in English and Spanish.
While the firm’s office is located in Bedford, Texas, Harris also serves the Fort Worth, Dallas, and Denton as well as the surrounding areas.
2. History of Successful Settlements and Verdicts
The firm’s website speaks of the kinds of cases that Harris has handled. There is no mention of his record or any information about settlements. We didn’t find a lot of reviews either as some indication which we’ll discuss below. The firm’s website states that 100 percent of his practice is devoted to litigation.
3. Participation in Professional Associations and Lawyer Groups
We could not find any information about Harris affiliation with any organization, professional or otherwise. Nothing was listed on the firm’s website, Avvo.com, or Martindale.com. The lack of details is something you will want to discuss with him during your initial consultation.
Harris attended both Texas Christian University and Texas Wesleyan University. He received his law degree from the University of Tulsa. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1996.
4. Client Testimonials and Reviews
The firm’s website did not contain any reviews or testimonials. However, we were able to locate some information on other sites. On Avvo.com, he has five reviews of which only one is not five stars. To his credit, Harris addressed the negative one publicly on the site. It’s worth mentioning that all the positive ones involved traffic ticket cases.
He also has three positive reviews on Yelp.com. Again, they are all very favorable but appear limited to traffic ticket cases. He has two 5-star reviews on Facebook.com too. The positive comments cite his compassion, thoroughness, and success at winning his cases. They show a consistent pattern of good service.
5. Willingness to Accept Contingency Fees
Harris offers a free 30-minute consultation. We could not find any information regarding his acceptance of contingency fees. The firm’s website does state that they’ll accept cash, check, or credit cards. Without any details, we’d advise you to bring this topic up in your initial consultation.
We should point out that the firm’s website says that payment plans are available which is always a pleasant surprise to see.
6. Active Online Presence
The firm’s website only provides a contact form with the option to select your preferred communication. While he has a Facebook profile, it isn’t active at all. The last update was in 2011. With Yelp.com, you can view the reviews. However, he has not claimed the site. We also didn’t find any profiles on Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.
An active online presence isn’t necessarily a deal breaker as it probably hurts a business owner more than the client. We see it as a missed opportunity to connect. But, Harris makes a point of promising a 24-hour turnaround on legal documents and returned calls. It’s something that is frequently mentioned in his reviews. Even if he isn’t tweeting, he’s calling you back promptly.
Conclusion
The Law Office of Harris R. Hughley offers professional and experienced representation in personal injury cases of all sorts. However, we had to rely pretty much just on the scant number of reviews to come to any conclusions.
Certainly, there are many things you should bring up during your consultation including his track record with verdicts, participation in professional associations, and the possibility of contingency fees. We will give him props for the casual tone of his website that can make the experience of seeing a lawyer less stressful.
