Injury Check List: What to Bring to Meet Your Lawyer

When you are preparing to meet with your personal injury attorney for the first time, it is important that you are as prepared as you can possibly be. The more prepared you are, the smoother the meeting will go, and the easier it will be for the lawyer to give you an honest and straightforward assessment of the case. You should make sure to take any documents that are relevant to the case. Attached is a checklist that can be used to ensure that you are not missing any important information when you arrive at your attorney’s office.

Is This Attorney the Right Fit for Your Case?

During the first meeting with your lawyer, he or she will be asking a lot of questions, not only to get a clear understanding of the case, but to determine if you will be easy to work with and whether you will be a detriment to your own cases. While your lawyer will be asking a lot of questions in order to get a feel of what he will be facing if he takes the case, you should also develop a mindset that will allow you to ask questions.

Lawyers are like any other person, they will each have their own philosophies and styles, as well as the unique manner in which they approach dealing with injury cases; however, there should be certain things that you should ask that will allow you to know if their approach and personality will be an ideal fit for you.

While you may not understand everything about your case, you should become very familiar with the details of the case, because beware aware of the details of your case, and any challenges those details may create, will better prepare you to determine if your lawyer will be the right fit for you.

Questions that Should Be at The Top of Your List

No matter what personality or style a lawyer has, there are certain questions that he should be able to answer. Following is a list of questions that personal injury lawyers.

What percentage of your legal practice is dedicated to handling personal injury cases?
Will you be handling my case personally, or will you be passing it along to another attorney in your office? If other attorneys and legal professionals will be working on my case, is it possible for me to meet with them as well?
How many personal injury cases have you handled in total? Of the total number of personal injury cases that you have handled? Of your total number of personal injury cases, how many went to trial, and of those, how many did you win?
How long have you been in practice?
Are there any problems that you foresee in my case at this point?
What are your plans for handling my case as far as process is concerned?
How long will it take before the case is settled or goes to trial?
Will charging and billing me based on the contingency principle, or will I be expected to pay as the case progresses.
Will you be using any expert witnesses to prove my case?
Are there any time limits that dictate at date by which the case must be settled?

If you or a loved one are the victims of an accident, in which you have sustained injuries, you will most likely need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in traffic accidents. An experienced attorney will aggressively pursue the compensation that you deserve while protecting your rights and your personal interests. Remember, when evaluating which attorney will be best for your case, make sure that the attorney is familiar with the personal injury laws in your state.