What Should You Do Before Meeting With Personal Injury Lawyers?
The first meeting with your personal injury lawyer is one of the most critical part of your case. Personal injury lawyers are responsible for gathering all the necessary facts to determine the best legal options for their clients. You can do several things to help with the case right from the start. Here are useful tips for ensuring that the first meeting with your personal injury lawyer is successful.
Think About The Particulars of Your Case
You need to think about all intricate details of the case regardless of how unpleasant they might be. You need to think about the How, Why, Where, Which, When, and the Who. What did you see? What time of the day did the incident or accident happen? Who was with you at the time? What were you doing in the moments leading up to the accident or incident? What happened immediately after?
A List of Hospitals and Doctors That Treated You After the Incident/Accident
Prepare a list of hospitals and doctors that treated you after the incident/accident and their contact information. Doctors frequently have multiple outpatient offices where they see their patients. Making sure that your lawyer has the right contact information for those that treated you will save a lot of time.
Carry Any Medical Records You Have in Your Possession
Medical terminology can be both complicated and confusing and your personal injury lawyer does not expect that you attended medical school. However, providing all the medical records that you have in your possession relating to the accident might be of great benefit when evaluating your case. If you do not have the records with you, the personal injury lawyer will request them from the hospital/doctor directly.
Witness List
Did anyone witness the accident/incident happen? Was a family member or friend present at the scene? The personal injury lawyer will want to talk with any witnesses to find out exactly what they saw. Bringing with you a list of names and contact details of witnesses helps move your case forward.
Pictorial Evidence (Pictures of Vehicle Damage, Accident Scene, Injuries, etc.)
It is important to bring with you all pictures of injuries sustained that may have been taken in the hours, days, weeks, or months after the incident/accident. If pictures were taken at the accident scene showing vehicle damage, or anything else relevant to the claim, the personal injury lawyer will definitely want to see them.
Name of the Insurance Company, Declarations Page, and Policy
You should bring a copy of the car insurance policy, and in particular, the declarations page. It is usually the first page of the policy outlining your insurance coverage. It is also important to bring your health insurance particulars.
A Copy of Accident/Incident Report
If you have a copy of the incident report or police report, you should bring it with you to the meeting so that the lawyer can review it.
The Bottom Line
Taking time to prepare and think about the case before meeting with personal injury lawyers allows for better evaluation of your potential case and saves time down the road. Find a competent personal injury lawyer today to ensure that your rights are upheld and you receive the best settlement or judgment possible.