When you have any sort of personal injury matter that needs the help of a lawyer, it’s important that you do your best when making a decision. Setting up a free consultation is the first order of business that you need to address. But what happens during a free consultation with a personal injury attorney? How should you come prepared? We’re happy to explain. Keep reading to learn more about what happens during the consultation portion of hiring a personal injury lawyer.
It’s a Mutual Conversation to See if the Relationship Works
For starters, keep in mind that personal injury law assistance is a mutual relationship. You’re vetting the attorney to see if they are qualified and capable of helming your case, and the lawyers are deciding if your case is provable and financially beneficial enough to take on.
Because of this, act accordingly and don’t feel the need to hire the very first attorneys that you speak to. Make sure that they’re credible, and learn some key points of information, such as their law school alma mater, whether they graduated at or near the top of the class, and recommendations from others who have hired personal injury lawyers.
The Firm Will Teach You About State Personal Injury Laws
Anytime you hire a personal injury lawyer, you’re hiring someone you can count on to lend you their expertise. The quickest and most pertinent way to test their grasp on the law is during the consultation.
These lawyers will make you abreast of state personal injury laws whether you’re in California, Washington, or any other state. This explanation will teach you what you must prove, the statute of limitations for bringing forth a case, what kinds of damages you can go after, and more.
Aside from testing their knowledge, use this time to ask as many questions as you need to so that you leave the consultation properly educated about the law and how it affects your case.
They’ll Offer Advice on the Situation
The advice that you get on your personal injury case is truly where the rubber meets the road. These lawyers will give you a roadmap of where they see your situation going and how they see it playing out.
They can lay out different scenarios that you should know about, in addition to how they can step in and assist you. Gauge the advice that you give and make sure to choose a law firm whose advice you feel good about.
You Should Come Prepared With Whatever Evidence You Have
You’ll need to gather some solid evidence to prove your case. While proper evidence gathering and fact-finding takes some time, start with where you’re at, and bring anything documented to the consultation.
The evidence that you bring might include things like photos and video of the accident scene, doctor’s bills and evaluations, statements from witnesses, police reports, and journal logs of your experiences.
The more you give your lawyer to work with during the consultation, the easier it will be for them to explain things to you and offer sound, actionable advice. Once you hire the lawyer, they can deploy their resources to help you find all of the evidence that you need.
The Attorney Will Discuss Long-Term Implications With You
Make sure that you also speak long-term and in broad strokes about the circumstances. Choose an honest lawyer that offers both best case and worst case scenarios, and how you can realistically expect the matter to play out.
They should be able to speak to you about the long-term implications of your injuries and what must be proven to win the case. In many circumstances, you’ll have several doctor visits and rounds of personal therapy or surgery to go through in order to completely heal up.
Long-term implications also involve things like mental health and your financial life. You may need to visit a mental health professional that can help you through any stress and trauma that the injuries or accident have caused.
Your attorney may also have you go after damages related to financial ruin or for lost income. The clearer your attorney looks at the total picture, the better the outcomes you can expect to receive.
You Should Seek a Consultation as Quickly as Possible
Time is of the essence when it comes to any personal injury case. There’s a statute of limitations that you’ll need to think about, in addition to just giving your lawyer as much time as possible to begin working on your case.
Go get a consultation as soon as possible following any accident with injuries. During the consultation, make sure to also go over the fee structure and any points of the contract. Take some time to read through the contract on your own time, and make sure that you feel comfortable with the contingency fee percentage that the law firm is charging.
Find the Best Personal Injury Lawyer You Can Find
When you consider the points above, you’re steps away from researching personal injury lawyer firms so that you can book a consultation and find the right fit. Suffering personal injuries can be incredibly traumatic, and you can’t afford to not hire the best lawyers for your case.
We’d be more than happy to assist you with any personal injury law needs that you have. Take the to contact the Sweet Lawyers on our site or at 1-800-674-7854 for a free consultation.