Meeting with any type of attorney can be stressful. Generally, people do not meet attorneys when life is going well. This is especially the case when it comes to having the first meeting with a personal injury attorney.
When you know what to expect at your first meeting with personal injury attorneys, your experience will be much less stressful. There are seven necessary pieces of evidence that will make it easier for trial attorneys to represent you.
1. Police report or accident report:
If you were injured in an accident that required police involvement, then you need to bring a copy of a police report. If the accident happened at work, then you should get a copy of the accident or injury report. These types of reports show that your injury actually did happen. It can be helpful to have the names and contact information of the people who witnessed the event.
2. Medical bills or repair bills:
These bills will show what you have to spend as a result of the accident. It is helpful to bring medical bills, even if you have substantial health insurance. Repair bills can be for any property that you needed to repair as a result of the accident.
3. Medical diagnosis or discharge papers:
These papers are your proof that you were treated for injuries related to the event. They often include information about the prescriptions you need to take and how quickly you need to follow up with your health care provider. With these papers, your attorney will get a better understanding of your prognosis for recovery.
4. Photographs of the area:
Photographs bring the event to life. Even if you did not take photographs right away, you can still visit the scene of the accident so your attorney can fully understand what happened. Take pictures from a variety of angles so there are no unanswered questions about the scene of the accident.
5. Pay stubs:
If you are proving that you had to miss work due to the accident, you will need to bring pay stubs. This will show how much money you made prior to the event and how much you are making as a result of it. If you have a contract, then you should bring that, too.
6. Insurance policy numbers and/or statements:
Since attorneys have to talk to insurance companies, it is important that they have the information they need. In fact, attorneys often help their clients get payments from reluctant insurance companies. Attorneys will keep these items and all other personal information secure in their offices.
7. Personal statement of events:
Since people are often nervous during their first meetings with attorneys, it is helpful to write a personal report of what happened at the accident. Writing out a timeline of events makes it easier to explain the accident. The statement of events should also include anything that has happened since the event as well as questions that you may have for the attorneys. Include who, what, when, where, why, and how.
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