What Happens During a Free Case Evaluation Appointment?
If you’ve been the victim of a personal injury accident, one of the first steps you may take is to hire an attorney to help you file a lawsuit against those who harmed you. However, with so many lawyers to choose from, you’ll undoubtedly want to set up a free evaluation appointment to fully understand if they’ll be the right person to take on your case.
But what exactly is a free case evaluation appointment, and how can you make the most of your time? Let’s go over a few of the most important things to know about a personal injury consultation.
What Should I Expect From My Free Consultation Session?
Any practicing attorney’s primary goal is to serve their clients and ensure they receive the compensation they are rightfully owed for the injuries they sustained. Whether you were injured on the job or because of another’s reckless or negligent actions, you will want to find a reputable attorney with experience handling personal injury cases.
During a consultation, the main goal is to determine the circumstances of your accident, including how you sustained your injuries and how they’ve affected your daily life. By the end of the evaluation, your lawyer should ask for copies of any documentation related to your accident, such as medical bills, work pay stubs, repair bills, property repair estimates, and anything else related to your accident. By providing your personal injury attorney with documents pertaining to your injuries and damages, you’ll help them to more efficiently determine the next steps to take in your case.
What Should I Bring to My Case Evaluation Appointment?
Before your appointment, it’s important to collect as many essential documents as possible to maximize your session’s productivity. This will also help your attorney to generate the most accurate estimate of your claim.
Some of the documents you’ll want to bring to your evaluation include:
- Police reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Medical paperwork
- Doctor statements
- Photographs of the accident scene
- Photos of any injuries
- Insurance reports
Additionally, you should also come prepared with any questions you might have— this is about your case, after all! We suggest writing down a list of the most important questions you have regarding your case so that you don’t forget anything during your consultation.
Some potential questions to ask your potential lawyer could be things like:
- How many years have you been practicing law?
- Have you handled many cases like mine before?
- How long might it take to resolve my case?
- How much can I expect to pay for your representation?
- How much might my claim be worth?
What Information Does My Attorney Need to Know?
As much as your free consultation appointment is about you, your attorney will still need to ask you several questions to gain a clearer idea of how best to proceed legally. Your attorney will need to know some basic things about your case, such as:
- When and where your accident occurred
- Who was involved in the accident
- How your accident happened
- If you have a copy of the police report
- If your insurance company has been notified
- Any expenses you’ve spent as a result of the accident
It’s not unusual for your attorney to ask you many questions during your session. Just remember, they’re trying to collect the most accurate picture of your case to determine how best to serve you.
What Happens After My Case Evaluation?
After your free case evaluation, you’ll have time to decide if you want to hire your attorney for your case. If you do decide to proceed, you’ll enter into an agreement with them. Once you sign the agreement, your attorney will investigate your case as you focus on recovering from your accident. As your attorney pieces your case together, they should periodically contact you with details on your case’s progress.
Why You Should Hire a Lawyer
A personal injury accident is stressful, but having an experienced professional on your side to help guide you through the legal process can make the difference between maximizing a settlement offer and receiving little to no compensation for your claim. Furthermore, hiring a lawyer can significantly reduce the stress of the legal process, giving you more time to focus on what matters most: successfully recovering from your accident.
