If you have been involved in an accident where you sustained injuries that need to be compensated for, then you should hire the services of a personal injury lawyer. However, before going on to bring in the services of a personal injury lawyer into the matter, there is a need for you to engage in an initial consultation with your options.
Why Should I Go For An Initial Consultation With That Lawyer First?
Half of the time, this question is one of the questions that prevail in the minds of personal injury victims. They wonder why they can’t just meet different personal injury lawyers and kick start the claim process. For your own good, you must consult with your lawyer first before starting the official process.
Listed below are some of the major reasons why an initial consultation with a lawyer is important.
Reasons for an Initial Consultation
- So that you can have a better legal understanding of the issue and all the legal processes involved in getting justice for you.
- To know if you have a case or not.
- So that the lawyer also can have a better understanding of the incident that occurred. He should know about the injuries that were incurred, the extent of the injuries, what treatment procedures that you have started (if you have started any), and the way forward.
- So that the lawyer can brief you on your role in the case going forward.
It is established that going for an initial consultation with your lawyer is important. Next, you should prepare for your first consultation with this professional. Here, are different tips for ensuring that you have a successful consultation with your lawyer.
Tips to Help Groom You for Your First Consultation with a Personal Injury Lawyer
1. Surf the web about such cases first
First and foremost, your personal injury care is not the first of its kind, and as such, you’d find such cases on the internet. Surf the web to read about such cases to understand how it works and the results. This will help equip you mentally and get you ready for whatever you’d hear at your first consultation.
2. Be prepared to be honest and open
The worst thing that can happen is for a victim to hide things or withdraw relevant information from his lawyer. Aside from the fact that it is unethical for you to keep secrets from your lawyer, keeping secrets won’t enable them to help you the way that they should. Hence you have to be prepared to bear it all to your personal injury lawyer, keeping your communication honest and truthful.
3. Put Together Every Relevant Document
Before you walk into your personal injury lawyer’s office, ensure that you have the necessary documents related to the case. This includes repair costs, medical records, police reports, insurance information, Driver’s license, Social Security number, and images taken at the point of incidence, ready to be presented in case your lawyer asks for them. While at it, be prepared to take notes too, because you’d be doing a lot of listening and gathering of information. So, you need to go along with your writing items.
4. Research the lawyer and firm before visiting
Before you see your personal injury lawyer, it is advised that you know who you are going to be dealing with. As such, you need to research the lawyer and the firm to have background knowledge of who you are entrusting your case to.
5. Research vital questions that you would ask your lawyer
Kindly have it at the back of your mind that it is not just your lawyer who should ask the questions, be prepared to ask questions too! While he is prepared to ask you questions about the incident and other related questions, you should be ready to ask some questions also.
- If you are wondering what sort of questions that you should ask, listed below are a few of them:
- How long have you been in practice?
- How many personal injury cases have you taken on?
- Is personal injury cases your forte or a part of what you do?
- How much do you charge for cases like this?
- How much do you think my Personal Injury case is worth?
- How long is my case likely to take?
Questions like these and more are what you should be prepared to ask your personal injury lawyer.
6. Go with a third party
Going alone to your personal injury lawyer might tend to freak you out or make you nervous, so you should go along with a trusted third party. A friend or a relative should be there to boost your morale and make you feel comfortable all through your consultation session.
Your initial consultation with your personal injury lawyer is your only opportunity to have an idea of who you want to work with. If the professional is up to the task and understands what you’re up against, then you should go ahead with him.
Personal injury cases can be quite tricky, especially if you don’t have a good lawyer. So, with the few tips in this post, you should be 100% ready to make the first meeting count for you and your lawyer!
