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This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.
If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence, your pathway to the justice and compensation you deserve is through a personal injury claim.
As you begin the process of selecting the right personal injury lawyer for your situation, you’ll notice many offer a free lawyer consultation for your first meeting. What’s up with that? Is there such a thing in life that is truly free? What will we talk about?
Here, we’ll explain what happens in most initial consultations with personal injury lawyers.
What Usually Happens During the First Consultation With a Personal Injury Lawyer?
For the first meeting, the lawyer wants to get a bird’s eye view of your situation. So, be prepared to give a detailed account of the accident.
Keep in mind that many personal injury lawyers are paid only if they win the case on your behalf. The term “winning” could mean a substantial settlement from the at-fault person’s insurance provider or a jury verdict.
There literally is no risk for you.
Because of that, most personal injury lawyers are particular about which cases they take on. After knowing the details of your accident, the lawyer should have enough information to decide whether the case is strong enough to take on.
How Can I Prepare For The First Consultation?
While you should be ready to discuss the overall aspects of the accident, you should also be prepared to discuss several questions that are sure to come your way.
- Has the time limit expired? All states have a statute of limitations on when a personal injury claim can be filed. For example, New York limits the timeframe for taking legal action to three years from the date of accident. Once that deadline has passed, you essentially waive all rights to your claim.
- Pay attention to the way you feel. Your selection for a personal injury lawyer should be one with which you are comfortable. You need to be able to be completely candid with your lawyer, so the fit must be a good one. Also, find out if the lawyer with whom you’re meeting has successfully handled cases similar to yours.
- Do you have any documents and other pieces of evidence? The primary goal of your lawyer’s point of view at this stage is the strength of your case. So, bring all documentation and any information that will strengthen your version of the events. This can include photographs of the accident, police report, witness statements and contact details, medical notes, etc.
- Give a detailed update on your injury and how it affected you. In addition to describing the accident itself, be prepared to go into detail to discuss the injury itself, and how it has affected your life. Describe how it’s impacted your ability to work and the effect it’s had on your ability to enjoy your standard of living.
- Be prepared to give your detailed account…repeatedly. Some people become agitated over having to repeat the same story over and over, but there’s a rationale for this. Your lawyer is essentially attempting to gauge your “believability.”
- Have a list of prepared questions to ask. Even if the lawyer wants to take on the case, you may feel for whatever reason that the match is not a good one. There’s a lot a stake with your claim, so making sure the fit is good is vital.
Here are some good questions to get you started.
- Do you have experience handling cases like mine?
- Who will be my primary contact for my case?
- How long do you think my case will take?
- Are you going to accept any settlement or will you have the courage to take the case to court if there’s no acceptable settlement?
Remember, just as the lawyer is interviewing you, they are being sized-up by you.
- Be prepared if the lawyer declines your case. The lawyer’s decision about whether to take on your case depends largely upon how likely it is for there to be a settlement or court decision in your favor. If the chances aren’t good in the lawyer’s eyes, they may pass.
Don’t take it personally if they decline. It simply means that this particular lawyer did not see the merits of the case. Another personal injury lawyer may see your case in a completely different light. - Talk about fees and court costs. This is a topic that must be settled before you agree to hire the lawyer. The good news is that most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis – meaning they get paid only if they win. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the percentage your lawyer will require as payment.
- The next steps. If you decide to hire the personal injury lawyer, you should be able to leave their office after the first meeting with a detailed plan of the process of what happens next. There should be no guesswork.
The Bottom Line
Making your decision on whether to hire a personal injury lawyer can be an intimidating experience – but it shouldn’t be. Most people realize it’s intimidating only because selecting a lawyer is not something they do every day.
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This content is brought to you by Mariano Rodriguez.
Photo: Shutterstock