Ask Your Attorney and Their Legal Team About Their Credentials

After a semi-truck crash, it is crucial to hire a qualified attorney to help protect you and seek the justice you deserve. While you may find a lawyer who has all the credentials necessary to handle your case, it’s important to keep in mind that one attorney will not be the only person working on your case. The best way to increase your chance of success is to hire the best qualified truck accident attorney and their team.

Each aspect of a truck wreck case involves different members of the legal team, whether that’s paralegals or a Rapid Response Team. Regardless of the role, everyone working with your attorney should have the expertise necessary to take on your case. That is why you need a lawyer who invests in their legal team.

How Should My Attorney Invest in Their Team?

The law and technology are constantly changing, which means your attorney and their team need to continue their education to keep up with current laws and technology trends. Attorneys are required to earn a certain number of Continued Legal Education (CLE) credits each year, but that requirement does not extend to everyone on the legal team. To ensure their team has the current expertise needed for truck wreck cases, the attorney needs to invest in providing the team with that education.

For Nationally Recognized and Top Ranked Truck Accident Attorney David W. Craig, investing in his team involves bringing them along to seminars. Each year, he brings members of his legal team with him to the annual Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) Symposium so those working with him on cases have access to the same relevant information as the attorneys. The ATAA Symposium is especially beneficial for the non-lawyer members of the team because they have a special day of the symposium where the paralegals come together to discuss strategies for assisting their attorneys with these complex cases. Furthermore, attending these seminars provides guests with the opportunity to speak and network with other professionals in this legal field, exposing them to new ideas and concepts that are relevant to their practice.

The firm ensures the legal team has full access to the resources made available by the ATAA through membership, including recordings of past webinars and seminars. Through this membership, paralegals are able to utilize resources across a plethora of topics pertaining to truck accident law that can benefit their cases. Additionally, paralegals are able to take an exam to become board certified truck accident paralegals through the ATAA; two of Craig, Kelley & Faultless’s paralegals have achieved that status.

Additionally, Craig, Kelley & Faultless host the “Winning Truck Wreck Cases” seminar each year with the Indiana Trial Lawyer’s Association. The law firm encourages its staff to attend so they can continue to learn.

What Should I Ask About an Attorney’s Legal Team?

When hiring an attorney, it is in your best interest to interview them so you can learn the full scope of their expertise. You should ask about their credentials, achievements, cases they’ve handled that are similar to yours, what their process is like, do they take cases to trial, and more. But it is just as critical to ask them about their legal team.

During the interview, inquire how many people will be working on your case and the different roles each person plays in the process. How many paralegals are involved? Do you have a Rapid Response Team? If so, how will their work help your case? Who will be my primary contact in your office?

Once the attorney provides you with more information about the different people who will contribute to your case, you should ask about their experience as well. Have your paralegals handled similar cases? How does your Rapid Response Team deal with complicated wrecks that may require more investigation? Does anyone on your legal team have professional credentials that will lend to my case, such as board-certification from the ATAA? How do you ensure your legal team is up to date on current legal practices that affect my case?

After you have asked these questions, you will have a better idea of the attorney’s practice and the level of investment they put into their team. When hiring a lawyer for a semi-truck case, you want to be sure you can trust them and their team to take care of you and your family throughout this process.

Ask David: Episode 92 of After the Crash with Ashley Napier

David W. Craig is the managing partner and a founding member of Craig, Kelley & Faultless, a personal injury and wrongful death law firm. He has authored two books, Semitruck Wreck: A Guide for Victims and Their Families and It’s Never Been Easier to Hire the Wrong Attorney, to help victims navigate the legal process.

Ashley Napier is the Litigation Supervisor at Craig, Kelley & Faultless. She is a crucial member of the firm’s legal team, working to keep attorneys, file managers, legal assistants, and law clerks on track.

She and David discussed the ATAA Annual Symposium on a recent episode of After the Crash, David’s free podcast. Nationally ranked among personal injury podcasts on FeedSpot, After the Crash educates and empowers listeners.

Ashley asked David questions about the importance of hiring an attorney who invests in their legal team during episode 92.

Injured in a Truck Wreck? Craig, Kelley & Faultless Can Help

Attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless are prepared and have the experience to help victims and their loved ones involved in commercial vehicle wrecks through every aspect of their case. Both David W. Craig, Scott A. Faultless are board-certified in truck accident law by the NBTA, accredited by the American Bar Association. The firm also has a rapid response team—including investigators, reconstructionists and mechanics—that is sent to the scene of a wreck to collect evidence as soon as the firm is hired.

Their team-centered approach puts client needs at the forefront, and several attorneys will work on your case to achieve the best possible outcome.

Reach out for a free case consultation today at (317) 434-3520 or online.

David W. Craig is board-certified in truck accident law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, accredited by the American Bar Association in Truck Accident Law. He sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck: A Guide for Victims and Their Families and It’s Never Been Easier to Hire the Wrong Attorney, both written to help people navigate what comes next after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.