If you have suffered injury at the hands of another, you may be considering filing a personal injury claim against that person. You are probably searching the internet, looking for a lawyer you would be interested in consulting with to discuss your potential lawsuit. Perhaps you have already set up a consultation with a lawyer, or several lawyers. You might be thinking, "What do I do now? What should I bring with me to the interview or consultation?"
While every personal injury lawyer conducts his or her initial consultation differently, most personal injury lawyers will want the same type of information from you at the first interview. Most personal injury attorneys will want the following information:
- background information about you, such as: employment history, current income, medical and claim history, marital status, dependents, etc.
- detailed description of accident: make sure you write down an account of the incident with as much detail as possible
- description of injuries: type of injury, parts of the body affected, type of pain suffered, all treatment received at the time of the incident and afterward
- description of the injuries' consequences: effect the injury had on your work, home life, social life, hobbies, etc.
- description of witnesses: name and contact information of those who saw what happened, may have seen what happened, saw how the injuries have affected your life, etc.
- description of potential defendants: name and contact information of those who were involved in the incident, even if only marginally involved
- description of all emergency personnel who responded to the scene or provided medical attention afterward
- description of your insurance company and your insurance coverage: bring a copy of your insurance policy if possible
- identify all possible police reports and/or accident reports that may have been written as a result of the incident
Where the documents above require you to write out a description, it is much better that you do that as soon as possible. As time passes, your memory will fade. Therefore, you do not want to wait to write down your description of the event that occurred.
By giving your personal injury lawyer this information at your initial consultation, you give your personal injury attorney the best chance to start working on your case as soon as possible. This information will also help your personal injury lawyer know what kind of case you have and it will give your personal injury attorney an idea at how strong or weak your case may be.
If you have been injured in a car accident or any other incident, make sure to speak with a qualified personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Click on your state, at the left, to find a personal injury attorney near you.
