If you suffered injuries in an occurrence you’re not liable for, hiring a professional lawyer is the first step towards financial recovery. However, when it is time to meet your attorney, there is always uncertainty about what to expect. Therefore, the prospect of meeting with a personal injury lawyer Douglasville might give you some anxiety.
But, knowing how the meeting will go and making the necessary preparation will put your mind at ease. Therefore, to ensure the first meeting goes smoothly, you will want to bring all the paperwork relating to your injury and accident. We’ve put together a list of what to carry when you meet with your lawyer for the first time.
What Should I Bring to My First Meeting With a Personal Injury Lawyer Douglasville?
Here are things to come along with for your first meeting with your lawyer.
Medical Documents and Bills
Your medical bills and records are substantial evidence for your personal injury claim. In addition, these documents will give your lawyer a better picture of your physical condition.
Your medical bills show the financial costs of all necessary treatment. Here are some of the medical documents you should bring:
- Medical records of your medical diagnoses and any treatment you receive
- The name of the ambulance service that transported you and the hospital where you received treatment
- The precise date of your admission and release from the hospital
- All medical bills from hospitals, doctors, specialists, therapists, and other facilities
- A detailed document explaining any future treatment recommendation from your doctor
Insurance Policy
Bring a copy if you have a health insurance policy that covered your medical treatment after the accident. Your lawyer will assess it to know how much you can recover from the at-fault party.
Proof of Lost Income and Work
If you cannot go to work due to the injuries, you need to prove your reduced hours and lost wages. Therefore, when you meet with your lawyer, bring evidence of your time away from work and your last pay stub. In addition, if you suffered a disability that results in loss of earning capacity, carry documents that show your disability rating.
Other Important Documents
If you have other documents that can give a clearer picture of the case, bring them along. Here are some examples of documents that could be useful to your attorney:
- Police/accident report
- Videos or photographs of evidence of the accident scene, visible injuries, and witness statements
Preparing for Your First Meeting With a Personal Injury Lawyer
Now that we’ve covered the documents to take when going for your first meeting, let’s look at how to prepare. Here are a few steps to ensure you are adequately prepared.
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Gather All Documents
Your attorney will require a variety of documents relating to your case. This will help your lawyer assess how much compensation can get and plan their strategy. Therefore, go with the documents mentioned above.
However, if you cannot get these documents, ensure your attorney knows. Your personal injury lawyer Douglasville might be able to get the records for you.
Have a List of Questions to Ask the lawyer
If this meeting is to determine if you want to hire this lawyer, you should come up with questions. These questions will help you make the right decision. Here are a few questions to ask:
- How many years have you worked as a personal injury lawyer?
- How much experience do you have with cases like this?
- What are the outcomes of similar cases you have handled?
- Will you handle this case yourself?
- How often will you share updates about the case?
- What is the estimated time frame to resolve a case like this?
- What other information do you require to help with this case?
- How much compensation can I expect to recover?
Document the Details of Your Case
When you are in a meeting, you may forget some details that are relevant to your case. To fix this, you should write down all the facts of your case. You can start by writing down the situation surrounding the injury and everything that happened from your perspective.
Your lawyer will keep this information confidential, so ensure you write every bit of information you can. It doesn’t matter if you think a fact is irrelevant; you should still write down everything you remember. Then, your lawyer will decide if they can use the information or not.
Make a Copy of All the Documents
Whatever documents you submit to your attorney, make copies for your own records. You can even fax or email a copy of all the documents to your lawyer’s office before the meeting.
This will help your lawyers familiarize themselves with your case before you arrive for the meeting. Note that providing these documents before the meeting is not mandatory.
Get Prepared for Questions Regarding the Case
It might not be easy to relive the incident, but you will need to answer some questions about the event. These questions can determine if your case is winnable or how much compensation you can get.
Here are sample questions that you should look out for during your first meeting:
- Were your injuries from the accident?
- How has the injury impacted you, your family, or your work?
- What do your doctors say about your injuries?
- Can you tell me how the accident happened?
- Were you distracted or under the influence when the crash occurred?
- What actions did you take after the collision?
- Do you have any underlying medical conditions?
- How much compensation do you hope to get from the at-fault party?
Pay Attention to Your Instinct
Your first meeting with an attorney will likely tell you if the lawyer is the right person for your case. If you are satisfied and happy with the level of communication between you and the attorney, you can consider hiring them.
It is always best to go for an attorney you can trust and rely on to handle your case. So, if you feel you cannot rely on a lawyer, it is best to visit another law firm. Trust between an attorney and a client is crucial to a successful attorney-client relationship.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Douglasville Today!
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you need experienced injury attorneys Douglasville. Our attorneys at Hartley, Rowe, and Fowler, PC, will manage the process of claiming compensation while you focus on healing. Also, we work on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t have to worry about upfront fees. Schedule a free initial consultation with us today.