How to Make the Most of Your First Meeting With a Personal Injury Attorney

After any serious accident, you face a difficult road to recovery. In addition to physical pain, you must cope with financial worries and make decisions that will shape the rest of your life. An experienced personal injury lawyer is your knowledgeable, helpful guide during this stressful time.

Your initial consultation is an important step in the process, and you like l have many questions:

• What should I bring when I meet with my attorney?
• What does my attorney need to know to evaluate my claim?
• What steps should I be taking now to maximize my financial recovery?

Your Injury Lawyer Will Walk You Through the Process

First of all, you do not have to worry about attorney fees. Personal injury lawyers handle injury cases on a “no-fee-if-no-recovery” basis.

Second, recognize that your lawyer will not interrogate you or try to intimidate you. The fact-finding phase of your injury case will be collaborative—and so will the other stages of your case. You should be comfortable asking any and all questions that arise before, during or after your initial consultation.

There is no “typical” injury case. Whether you were hurt in a car crash or bike accident, an animal attack or a fall on dangerous property, the factors your attorney must consider are similar. When you meet face to face, you will focus on answering questions such as these:

• How did your accident occur, and was someone else at fault? Is evidence available and sufficient to prove liability?
• How severely were you injured? How will your injuries impact you financially, emotionally and otherwise?
• What insurance coverage applies? Are any other sources of recovery are available to you?

Pull Together Documents and Evidence That May Be Relevant

You want to know your legal rights are and what your case is worth. The more information you can bring to the initial consultation, the better equipped your lawyer will be to address these crucial concerns. Here are a few of the most helpful items to provide:

• The police report and/or case number for your accident
• Any photographs you took of the accident scene and your injuries
• Names and contact information for any witnesses to your accident
• A log of your medical treatment since the accident, along with contact information for doctors you have seen and any documents they gave you
• Insurance policies, cards, agent names and copies of any insurance correspondence since the accident

Let Your Injury Attorney Help You Put Your Life Back Together

If you don’t have or cannot locate an item on the list above, rest assured that your injury attorney will help you find everything necessary to put forth your strongest claim.

If you do not already have a lawyer, call on our Minneapolis legal team is adept at negotiating fair insurance settlements and pursuing well-prepared personal injury lawsuits. Equally important, the people we help consistently appreciate the levels of personal support and kindness they receive.