Personal Injury Lawyers: Getting The Most From Your Initial Consultation
Posted on: 4 February 2015
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Personal injury lawyers routinely offer prospective clients the ability to take advantage of a free initial consultation. This consultation gives the client the opportunity to get more information about the lawyer and their case, while also allowing the lawyer the opportunity to judge the merit of the case. The problem is, these consultations are often quite short. Combine the time limit with the long list of pressing questions that many accident victims have, and it is easy to understand why so many people struggle to get the most out of this opportunity. Thankfully, you can help to prevent this from happening in your case by completing just a few easy tasks prior to the day of your consultation.
Task #1: Provide The Lawyer With More Information About Your Case
The more information the lawyer has about your case, the more prepared they will be to answer your questions on the day of your consultation. This is precisely why so many injury lawyers send out questionnaires for their prospective clients to fill out. The problem is, far too many people wait to return these questionnaires until the day of their consultation. As a result, the lawyer has absolutely no time to review the information and prepare for the meeting. Taking the time out to complete and return these questionnaires as soon as they are received will ensure that your injury lawyer is prepared for your meeting and will ultimately help to ensure you get the answers you need.
Task #2: Return The Favor By Creating A List Of Questions
Just as the lawyer gave you the opportunity to answer questions at your leisure, you can return this favor by creating a list of questions that you can submit. While you should not expect to receive an answer to these questions prior to the day of your consultation, submitting these questions ahead of time will allow the lawyer to do any research that is necessary to provide you with the most accurate information during the course of your meeting. Having this list ready will also allow the lawyer to move flawlessly from one question to the next so that you can ultimately make the most out of the short amount of time you have together.
Task #3: Back Up Your Claim With Hard Evidence
While your verbal statements are an important part of building a case, these statements will not get you far if you are unable to produce evidence that backs them up. For instance, rather than simply stating that your back was injured as the result of your accident, you will need to provide documentation from your doctor describing the injuries and the treatment necessary for you to fully recover from these injuries.
Taking the time to collect all of the relevant documentation in your case prior to meeting with a personal injury lawyer, such as Sharkey Gregory V Attorney, will allow you to easily demonstrate the merit in your case. This documentation can also be used to assist your lawyer in providing you with the most accurate information regarding the likely outcome in your case.