Preparing For Your Meeting With A Personal Injury Lawyer
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
When you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you’ll likely decide that it’s worth taking some time to look into whether or not you can receive financial compensation for your injuries. No matter the type of injury or the severity of it, the entire process will begin with a consultation visit with your attorney. There are several steps you should keep in mind that will help you get the most from this initial consultation, and going into it prepared will help them get the clearest idea about what your case involves and how they can help you.With that in mind, let’s look at some of the key steps you need to take when preparing to meet a personal injury lawyer.
- Start by finding the right one. Do some research and identify an attorney that is skilled, experienced, and that has a history of handling your type of injury case.
- Gather your personal information. In general, all you’ll need is your driver’s license but if you have additional information that will help identify you or that you feel is relevant to your case, don’t hesitate to bring it.
- Bring all the paperwork associated with your case, too. This includes everything from a police report to your insurance information to the info you gathered from the other party involved and beyond. These items are instrumental in determining fault and whether or not you can seek compensation for your injuries.
- Also bring all medical information. This includes your medical bills, a record of what injuries you sustained, and even your insurance information. Along with this, bring any documents showing how much time away from work you have missed due to your accident as well as any orders from medical personnel about future procedures – long term physical rehabilitation, for example. Paystubs are the easiest option here.
- Bring all information you have about the other party, too. Their insurance information, photos of the accident, their names, their legal representation, and any other information you have will be needed in order to start the legal proceedings.
- Witness statements as well as any names or contact information you have for them will be a plus as well. While not required at the first consultation, the more information that you can bring the more likely it will be that your attorney will be able to make a clear determination about your case and its strength.
- Read a few basics about personal injury law including things like fault, negligence, recklessness, and other similar subjects. Your attorney is obviously the expert here, but knowledge is power and it only takes a few minutes to learn more about your situation and, potentially, your future.
- Also bring mental preparedness with you. Your attorney is going to explain the law to you in clear terms, but many people go into a meeting fully expecting to hear what they want to hear and nothing else. Your lawyer may explain that you’re not entitled to as much financial compensation as you may have thought, or that you don’t qualify for a lawsuit at all. In many instances, people simply aren’t prepared for the long process of seeking compensation. The key is to be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. With the right attorney on your side, you should be able to get the best possible results.
If you take the time to prepare for your initial consultation properly, you’ll be able to speed up the appointment and also have a better idea about what your attorney will speak to you about. A little preparation can have a big impact on your case and your experience with your attorney.