Adam J. Langino

I turn down over ninety percent of the cases referred to me. I only select those in which I have faith.

So, how do I define faith? Faith can take many different forms. It can be faith in a higher power. Or faith in the community. Or faith in yourself. Ultimately, an attorney handling a catastrophic injury or wrongful death case needs faith. Why? Because faith is the complete trust or confidence in something. For you, you want your attorney to have faith in your case. Faith is a powerful tool in helping your attorney understand your human damages, such as your pain and suffering. If your attorney is incapable of expressing faith, then they will not be able to advocate for you when times get tough. Without faith, your attorney may pressure you to settle your claim for less than you should.

Many clients wonder what a contingency lawyer is and how they are paid. A contingency lawyer differs from many other lawyers because they do not charge an hourly fee.

While some lawyers charge upwards of a thousand dollars an hour for their legal services, contingency lawyers operate on a different business model. A contingency lawyer only is paid if a recovery is made. The lawyer's payment is contingent on the outcome of the claim. To put it another way, contingency lawyers front all of their time, money, and effort. If they successfully get the other side to pay money to settle your claim, they take a percentage of that recovery before any money is paid to you.

Where your attorney went to law school is important. Why? Today there are over 200 law schools in the US. As you can imagine, some are better than others. To go to a top law school, a student needs to show a track record of academic success, community involvement, and strong analytical skills. When I graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, it was ranked in the top 20 law schools in the nation. Today, it remains a top law school in the U.S. Your attorney's work experience is important.

Does your attorney have experience taking depositions? That's the process of placing a witness or defendant under oath and asking questions to secure the evidence you need to prove your case. Taking depositions is a skill that takes practice. If your attorney is not skilled at taking depositions, then they may not be able to uncover the information needed to prove your claim. Over my career, I have taken hundreds of depositions of all different types of persons. I have deposed firefighters, police officers, EMS workers, engineers, corporate executives, defense experts, and more.

You also want to know if your attorney has courtroom experience. Arguing complicated motions before a court or advocating for you to the jury is also a learned skill that takes practice. It takes practice to think on your feet, answer unanticipated questions, or think of a question on the spot to show the jury the other side's witness is lying on the stand. Over my career, I have argued over a hundred motions before a Judge and have participated in over 20 jury trials. In other words, I know my way around the courtroom. If your attorney does not, they may not be able to advocate effectively for you.

Results matter. The other side knows if your attorney does not get good results for their client. If your attorney is known for settling claims cheaply or is unwilling to go to trial, your claim's resolution may suffer. Before selecting an attorney, you will want to know their track record. Make sure you ask only for their track record for the cases they were the primary prosecuting lawyer. If your lawyer is listing results where they did little more than grabbing a cup of coffee for a senior partner, then that "good" result is not theirs.

You can see my track record of success on my website. If your attorney is publishing their results, you know they are confident in their ability to prosecute your claim.

Reputation is important. Do his peers know your lawyer to be a top lawyer? Are they asked to teach other lawyers in seminars or a sought-after author for legal publications? What is their professional reputation amongst this or her peers? If your lawyer is unknown in the profession, they are less likely to have the skills or qualifications to handle catastrophic injury or wrongful death cases. I routinely lecture other lawyers nationally. I also am oft asked to publish articles for legal magazines. And I am recognized yearly by trade publications as a Best Lawyer, Super Lawyer, Legal Elite, and others. If your attorney is not getting similar recognition, they may not be the best fit for your claim.

Who are you hiring? When you hire a large firm, you need to know who is working on your case. The attorney on the billboard or advertisement may meet with you to sign up the claim, but it is unlikely they will work on your file. Often, your file will be worked out by less experienced lawyers. A more experienced lawyer may only take a close look at your case when it is too late. When you hire Langino Law, you hire me, Adam J. Langino, and not some lawyer fresh out of law school. You can rest assured that a nationally respected trial lawyer is prosecuting your claim.

Solicitation is illegal. After a catastrophic injury or a wrongful death, you may get calls from "investigators" or other persons asking you about your case. These unscrupulous persons are trying to direct you to a lawyer and are getting paid to do this. Sometimes, lawyers engage in this practice as well. Please know that this is illegal. You should never hire a lawyer willing to break the law to sign up your claim.

I am sorry if you are reading this because you or someone your love was killed or catastrophically injured by the negligent acts of another. Over my career, I have handled many wrongful death claims and I am licensed to practice law in Florida and North Carolina and co-counsel claims in other states.

You can click here to learn more about me.