What To Expect At Your Personal Injury Consultation
It’s a good idea to have a full understanding of what will happen at your initial personal injury consultation so you can come prepared. And if it does ease any tension you might have about meeting with a personal injury attorney to discuss your case, here is an explanation of what to expect during an initial consultation – what questions you may be asked, what you may want to bring, and what may be expected of you should you decide to retain that personal injury attorney.
Your Attorney Will Give You A General Idea Of What A PI Case Is Like
Firstly, the personal injury attorney evaluating your case will likely sit you down and thoroughly explain to you in a easily understandable way what a personal injury case is like (ie. how long it takes, what is involved in the process, what you should/should not do).
General Information About You
The personal injury attorney evaluating you case will likely ask some general questions about you. Questions may include what type of job you have, if you’ve been out of work due to your injury, if you have any dependents, etc.
Prior Injuries
You’ll likely be asked about any injuries you’ve had prior to the accident you were involved in. Prior injuries, especially if they are localized in the same area as the injury you sustained while in your accident, can become a defense against your personal injury claim. The claim may be made against you that your injury was neither due to your accident, and so the defendant is not liable for causing it. It’s important that your personal injury attorney knows about all injuries you’ve had prior to your accident. They’ll need to strategize a way to connect your current injury with the accident you were involved in.
Questions Regarding Your Accident
You’ll be asked a series of questions related to your accident – what type of accident it was, where it occurred, how it occurred, etc. The personal injury attorney evaluating your case will need to have an overall understanding of your accident before he or she proceeds with more in-depth questions.
Witness’ Statements
The personal injury attorney evaluating your case will ask if you have the names, addresses, phone numbers etc. of any witnesses to your accident. What they witnessed could prove invaluable to your case.
Evidence & Photographs
Your own account of the accident you were in is important to your case, but photographs may be even more so. For example, if you slipped and fell on an old, broken down staircase on another’s property, it’s important you take photographs of the stairwell directly after your incident so it can be documented that the staircase was in need of repair by the premises owner before your incident. Bring any photos you may have and a list of witnesses if there were any. Here is a good list of ways to strengthen your personal injury claim.
Insurance Policies
The personal injury attorney evaluating your case will need a full explanation of what type of coverage you have under your insurance carrier. The reason they’ll ask for this information is because you may be due compensation for medical bills and lost wages from your own insurer, and it’s their job to obtain you as much compensation as you are entitled to from every available resource.
Fee Structure
During your initial consultation, a personal injury attorney will describe their fee structure (their contingency fee), so you understand how this will affect the award you receive should they win.
Retainer
If you choose to retain the personal injury attorney evaluating your case to represent you, you’ll be asked to sign some paperwork. You’ll sign a retainer agreement to hire them. You will also have to sign authorization paperwork so that your personal injury attorney can stay in contact with any medical providers who oversaw your treatment.