During your free case evaluation, a personal injury lawyer will want to learn about the cause of your injury, the extent of your injuries, how those injuries have impacted your life and whether it will be possible to prove the party who caused your injury was liable and negligent.
As such, it may be a good idea to write down exactly what happened, bring any police reports, compile receipts for medical costs or repair bills, bring diagnostic imaging results or medical records related to your accident and compile a list of witness contact info.
There are a variety of factors that may lead to your case being turned down by a personal injury lawyer. These reasons include things like:
In most cases, an attorney will only take a case if they believe they can win and there are obtainable damages available. Personal injury lawyers have to pay utilities and labor costs too. If your injuries only cost you a few hundred dollars, it’s unlikely the attorney will be able to cover their own operating costs with the contingency fee they would be paid were they to win your case.
If your meeting is in person and you have evidence you believe shows the other party was responsible for your accident, you can bring it to an in-person consultation with your lawyer. If the personal injury attorney is on the fence about taking your case, it may help if you show them proof that your injuries were caused by the negligence of another person or business.
You might also want to provide medical records and receipts of your treatments or even pay stubs and evidence of lost wages. At some point your attorney will need to calculate your damages (medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering). Since their decision on whether to take your case may hinge on the value of those damages, it could help to bring documentation that shows your damages are considerable.
One of the things you should try to do after suffering any kind of personal injury, whether it’s an auto accident, slip and fall or a dog bite, is collect contact information from witnesses. Eyewitness accounts may be invaluable if your case were to go to trial. It may also bolster your negotiating position during discussions with the insurance company on your claim. Attorneys may be more willing to take on your case if you can provide witnesses who can corroborate your version of events.
Free consultations might have a time limit. Some attorneys specifically advertise a “30-minute free consultation.” Even if there’s no explicit time limit, you should go into a free consultation prepared.
A free consultation with a personal injury is not dissimilar from a job interview. You’re trying to decide whether you want to hire this attorney and the attorney is trying to decide whether they want you as a client.
You can make the best use of the allotted time and make a good first impression by being prepared. Consider outlining your case in a document. If your meeting is in person, you can print it out. If the meeting is over the phone, you can offer to email it to the attorney. In either case, you’ll want to give a brief but thorough accounting of events and what transpired afterwards.
Tell the attorney exactly what happened:
After you explained what happened, tell them what you’re experiencing now:
Having pay stubs showing your normal income and a note from your doctor explaining why your injuries are preventing you from working may also help.
You should also make sure you’re going into your free case evaluation with questions for the lawyer. Free consultations are a two-way street, and you want to ascertain how much they care about their clients, whether they will be a good communicator and their skill as an attorney.
Joseph Zdrilich of the Zdrilich Law Group understands that you have options for your legal representation in Duluth. He will be happy to listen to your situation, answer any questions you may have and provide an honest assessment of your case’s chances.
Call us today at (770) 931-9604 to schedule your free consultation.
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Zdrilich Injury Law is committed to helping injured Georgians receive the money they need to recover physically and financially after an accident.
Zdrilich Injury Law, LLC providers one-on-one representation to car accident, truck accident and workers’ compensation clients in Georgia.
770-691-1680
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3575 Koger Blvd. Ste 125
Duluth, GA 30096
Phone:
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123 Canal St. Ste 201
Pooler, GA 31322
Phone:
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11545 Parkwoods Cir. Ste B
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Phone:
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