How to Prepare for a Personal Injury Attorney Consultation
If you’ve been injured by someone else’s negligence, your next step is to file a personal injury claim. Receiving an adequate settlement that will cover all the damages you’ve experienced because of an accident can help you take care of this difficult situation.
What happens during initial consultations will be the root of your professional relationship. For this reason, it’s important that you prepare yourself so your attorney has a better understanding of your accident and injuries. Keep these tips in mind if you want to build a strong claim and be on the same page with your legal advisor.
Sharing Crucial Information
It’s a good idea to write down all relevant information that could help your lawyer. The date of the accident, what you felt during this tragic event, what you were able to understand after visiting a doctor, and other details can all help.
Your attorney can utilize this information to form an initial picture of the situation. They’ll also use their expertise and judgment to understand if there was an act of negligence or intention to cause harm.
Gathering Documents
Your chances of success are typically higher if you gather important documents that could be used as evidence. This includes medical records, your treatment plan, an accident report (if you were involved in a road crash), and more.
Other than being vital to your claim’s success, your attorney can also use these documents to understand if your claim is worth pursuing. If important evidence needed to build your case is missing, a lawyer can take care of this problem by requesting it with a subpoena. This is typically the case when footage from surveillance cameras is required to prove liability.
Asking Questions
The most important thing when you’re looking to take legal action is that you and your lawyer need to be on the same page at all times. This is not possible if you don’t ask the right questions, as every client has different preferences. Compiling a list of commonly asked questions so you don’t forget them during consultations is a good idea.
Here are a few examples of questions you may want to ask your personal injury lawyer:
- Have you handled a similar case in the past?
- Is it possible to settle this issue out of court?
- Is receiving compensation worth the wait?
- How will I take care of your fees?
- Will you keep me updated about my case’s resolution?
Don’t hesitate to ask additional questions, as this is your opportunity to understand how a lawyer operates.
Be Honest with Your Lawyer
Legal issues can get even more complicated if you’re not being honest during initial consultations. Lying to your lawyer can result in unexpected problems, as preparing an effective defense won’t be possible.
An attorney is not there to judge you but to solve your problems while protecting your rights and your finances. If you think you’re partly at fault for what happened, for example, make sure to mention it before the time to negotiate comes.
Meet with a Qualified Injury Attorney
Keeping these tips in mind can significantly increase your chances of winning when you’ve been injured by someone else’s actions or inactions. Qualified injury attorneys can help you deal with legal problems in the most efficient way possible.
Our legal team at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP will answer your questions in a satisfactory manner, as we want you to proceed without doubts. You can schedule your free case evaluation by calling 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462), or you can fill out our contact form.