How to Choose an Injury Attorney

John Doyle Nalley • November 2, 2025

Select an Attorney You Trust, Not a TV Lawyer

The best way to pick an attorney for your injury case is the same way most of you picked your family doctor. Chances are your family had gone to that family doctor for years, or you were referred to them by family or friends. You didn't pick/choose because of a TV commercial or a billboard.


The truth is that the majority of attorneys you see on TV today don't actually try cases in the courtroom, in fact some of them have never tried an injury case to a jury period. The goal of many attorney TV commercials is to get you in the door, sign you to a contract, then turn you over to secretaries or insurance adjusters on staff to settle your claim. The claims are then generally settled as quickly as possible, often for much less than they are worth. These are "settlement mills".


Here are four key questions to ask before signing up with an injury lawyer:

  1. Will the person I contact about my case be an attorney vs. a secretary or paralegal? If the answer is no, you are most likely at a "mill".
  2. How many injury/insurance/malpractice cases has the attorney handling my case tried themselves, and what were the results? Ask for the names of the cases, when they occurred and in what court.
  3. Ask to see a list of results, both settlements and verdicts in court. Insurance companies know which attorneys are good in court and pay accordingly.
  4. Ask about their rating on Martindale Hubbell. This is the only service where lawyers rate other lawyers on legal ability and ethics. Your family doctor sends you to specialists they know are good and trust, it is the same with attorneys, they know their fellow attorneys with ability and ethics.  AV is the highest rating given by Martindale Hubbell.  The "A" is the highest rating for legal ability, the "V" is the highest rating for legal ethics. All other rating services are just primarily paid advertising.

How to Survive a Hospital Stay

By John Doyle Nalley • November 2, 2025
Nine Rules to Follow to Survive a Hospital Stay

Car Insurance Coverage to Consider in Arkansas

By John Doyle Nalley • November 2, 2025
Insurance Coverage in the State of Arkansas - What is required? The State of Arkansas requires at a minimum that all persons driving on Arkansas roads have at least liability insurance coverage which pays for any claims when you are at fault in an accident. The minimum liability amount that you are required to carry by law is $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 to cover property damage to other's property. Requirement of Coverages for Insurance Companies The State of Arkansas also requires that insurance companies offer you medical payments, wage loss, underinsured and uninsured coverages. If you don't want these coverages, you have to sign to reject them. If you did not sign a rejection, these coverages may exist for you as a matter of law. These additional coverage options are needed and vital to protecting you and your family. Here is a little bit more about each of them: 1. Medical Payments/Wage Loss Coverage Commonly referred to as personal injury protection (PIP), these coverages will pay for medical expenses and lost wages when you are in an accident. How much of these bills will be paid depends on how much coverage you buy. The minimum coverage in Arkansas is $5,000 for medical bills and $140 per week or 70% of your salary for lost income. 2. Uninsured Motorist Coverage Uninsured motorist coverage will pay for your injuries and damages when a wreck is caused by someone who doesn't have insurance of their own. You should have sufficient amounts of uninsured motorist coverage to pay for damages in the event you are in a severe accident. 3. Underinsured Motorist Coverage Underinsured motorist coverage will pay if the person who causes the wreck doesn't have enough coverage to fully pay for your injuries and damages. Underinsured motorist is "excess" coverage over and above the liability limits of the person responsible for the accident. Again, underinsured motorist limits should be large enough to pay enough you in the event that you are in a bad wreck and have a lot of medical bills and lost wages. If we can help answer these or other insurance coverage questions which arise from an accident, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 501-315-7491 .