What Documents Should I Bring To An Initial Legal Consultation?

Having an experienced personal injury lawyer on one’s side can make all the difference in the outcome of a case. An attorney can assess the strength of the case, investigate the accident, and help clients seek maximum compensation. The first step in this process is attending an initial consultation, where the claimant can meet the legal team, explain his or her case, and provide the attorney with important accident-related documentation. To learn more about what to bring to your own first consultation, call a dedicated Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer today.

What to Expect at an Initial Consultation

Many of those who have never been involved in a civil legal matter wonder what to expect during their first consultation. These meetings serve a number of important purposes, including:

• Helping the parties get to know each other;
• Giving the attorney the opportunity to review the accident case;
• Allowing both parties the chance to ask relevant questions;
• Determining the next step in the legal proceedings; and
• Discussing the fee structure for payment.

Achieving these goals will be much easier if the claimant brings certain documents to the meeting, which can help attorneys evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a personal injury claim, while giving them a better picture of the accident in question.

Important Documents

Initiating a personal injury case and attending a first legal consultation can be stressful. It can help the meeting go more smoothly, however, to bring certain case-related documentation, including:

• The police report from the accident, which should provide a detailed record of the parties’ statements, the accident scene, and the contact information of eyewitnesses;
• Medical records related to the diagnosis of the injury and subsequent treatment, which can help the attorney calculate an initial estimate for economic damages;
• The contact information of any witnesses who saw the accident and if available, any official statements given to the police;
• Insurance information, including any correspondence with the at-fault party’s insurer, which can help determine which part of the victim’s expenses might be covered;
• Photos and videos of the accidents scene and injury, which can show the timestamp of the accident and confirm the severity of the injuries;
• Financial records showing the dates of lost work time and lost wages;
• Receipts and invoices from expenses related to the accident, including receipts for auto repair if the accident involved a vehicle collision; and
• Copies of written statements taken by an insurance adjuster.

To learn more about the types of documents that you’ll need to strengthen your case, please reach out to our legal team today.

Checklist of Other Important Information

Besides the documentation we discussed, there is other critical information that accident victims can provide to their attorneys, including:

• A written statement of what happened on the day in question;
• The names of the parties involved in the accident;
• The date of admission to the hospital, if applicable;
• The names and contact information of insurance adjusters; and
• The names and business addresses of treating physicians.

After the consultation has ended, a lawyer can review and verify this information before estimating damages and deciding whether to commence the claims process.

Set Up a Free Consultation

Set up your own initial consultation with the dedicated Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers at Boone & Davis by calling 954-566-9919 today.

Resource:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0768/Sections/0768.81.html