Medical malpractice cases are complex. They are some of the most difficult cases to prove and pursue which is why you should hire a lawyer with experience and expertise in handling medical negligence/medical malpractice cases. Anyone can advertise on a website. A lawyer may proclaim ownership of a sizable settlement in a case in which they did no work. So, ask your lawyer:
How many medical malpractice cases have you tried, when (make sure they are not relying on decades old verdicts), did you win and how much? This is important to know. Every case needs to be prepared like it is going to trial and the defense knows which lawyers prepare and who can win.
While it is true most cases settle, the reason cases settle for significant money is good case work up. Ask your lawyer, how many depositions have you taken in the last 5 years, meaning actually preparing and questioning the witness not watching others do the work. If the answer is less than 20, do not hire that lawyer as they are not doing the work. It takes expert skill to take a good deposition of a medical provider to get the evidence you need in your case.
If you are unsure, ask to read a deposition they have taken. See if you can understand the case by reading the deposition. Even if you do not know the case, you ought to be able to see the skill of the lawyer in questioning the witness. Are they are getting admissions from the provider as to their role and responsibilities in the patient’s care, or the patient’s injuries and what caused those injuries? Get the whole deposition transcript. Make sure they are not trying to claim another lawyer’s work.
Call around. Ask the lawyer you are interviewing to refer you to other lawyers in the same field i.e. their competitors. Good lawyers are not afraid to provide the names of their competitors and if their competitors respect them, they will tell you. Ask their competitors that if something happened to them would they want the lawyer you are considering to represent their family.