Meeting A Personal Injury Lawyer For The First Time? What You Should Expect
If you have suffered an injury as a result of another's negligence, you will want to meet with a personal injury attorney to determine what steps you should take in pursuing the compensation that you rightfully deserve. However, as a general rule, you probably have never been in a situation like this before, which means you have likely never even spoken with a lawyer before. If you have never hired law services previously, you have no idea what to expect at that first meeting with a legal professional. To ensure you get the most out of your consultation, you should learn what will occur and what items you need to take with you.
You Will Need to Answer Questions
An initial meeting with a lawyer will allow him or her to decide whether to take on your case. Therefore, you need to be prepared to provide the attorney with a detailed timeline of the injuries that you have sustained. The attorney is likely to ask an assortment of questions about what transpired, if there were eyewitnesses, and the severity of your injuries. At this meeting, the attorney will want to see accident reports, photos of your injuries, and any correspondence that you have received thus far from the responsible party and his or her insurance company.
You Will Discuss the Required Fees
Often, personal injury attorneys work on what is considered a contingency basis, which means that their fee comes out of your settlement. However, the attorney should be able to break down their fee structure to you during this initial consultation so that you will be aware of how much their services will end up costing you. Keep in mind that there are some law firms that may require you to pay certain expenses upfront, such as investigative and filing fees.
You Can Ask Your Own Questions
This initial consultation is your chance to ask the attorney any questions that you have and determine whether you want to work with this attorney and his or her law firm. You will want to ask if the individual you are meeting with will be the individual handling your case, how long he or she has been in the legal industry, and what percentage of his or her law practice is dedicated solely to personal injury cases. You will likely have a list of your own questions to ask, but these are just a few of the basic ones to ensure you get answered.
For more information, contact a personal injury lawyer.