How To Prepare For Your Consultation With A Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve suffered injuries in South Carolina in an accident because of someone else’s negligence, you can file a personal injury claim and recover compensation. You can represent yourself in your personal injury claim or hire an attorney. However, the truth is that when you work with a personal injury lawyer, you increase your chances of recovering the compensation you deserve.
Before you start working with a personal injury attorney, you need to schedule an initial consultation with the attorney. An initial consultation is generally meant to help you and the attorney decide whether you want to work together in an attorney-client relationship. Often, clients who contact The Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm to schedule a consultation ask how they can prepare for the meeting. Below, we share some ways to prepare for your consultation with a personal injury lawyer.
Gather Documents
One of the most vital things you should do before your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer is to gather documents. If you have never filed a personal injury claim, you might not know what documents you need to collect. The following are some of the documents you should get together before your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer;
- Medical records
- Any police report from the accident
- Any accident report
- Contact information for witnesses
- Bills for treatment
- Repair costs
- Photos of the accident scene
- Your insurance information
- The other party’s insurance information
- Documentation of missed work
- A journal with details about your accident
Prepare Questions for the Attorney
During your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer, you should ask as many questions as possible. You need to be sure that an attorney is the right fit for you before you hire them, and the best way to assess an attorney is by asking questions. Also, asking questions shows an attorney that you take your case seriously and are ready to take the necessary steps to get justice. So before your first meeting with a personal injury lawyer, prepare a list of the questions you want to ask the lawyer.
The following are some of the questions you can ask a personal injury attorney during a consultation;
- How many cases similar to mine have you handled before?
- If I hire you, will you be the one handling my case?
- Are there any weaknesses in my case?
- How long do you think my case will take?
- How much time can you devote to my case?
- Is it likely that my case will go to trial?
- What is my case worth?
- What is your fee structure?
Know Your Goals
Before consulting with a personal injury attorney, take time to understand what you hope to accomplish. During your consultation, let the attorney know about your expectations. Understanding your goals ahead of time can enable you to achieve a lot during your first meeting with a personal injury attorney.
Do Some Research
Finally, before meeting with a personal injury lawyer, conduct some research. You can learn about a personal injury lawyer, by, for instance, checking the attorney’s website.
Contact the Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm
If you’ve suffered injuries because of someone else’s negligence in South Carolina and you’d like to speak with a personal injury lawyer, contact our skilled and dedicated Charleston personal injury lawyer at the Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm.
Source:
mass.gov/info-details/representing-yourself-in-a-civil-case-ii-deciding-whether-to-represent-yourself
