I know it seems quite straight forward and simple when talking about a personal injury consultation, but it actually is an important first step for both you and your potential personal injury attorney. Initially, you will be asked to provide a breakdown of what happened and what injuries resulted. Then the lawyer will most likely ask follow-up questions to get more detail about certain aspects of the incident, so provide as many specifics as you can or are able to manage emotionally. The overall purpose of the initial part of the consultation is to see if some trust is building and you believe the attorney has the experience to handle your type of case. It will also give the attorney the opportunity to see if your case is the type of case they want to accept. Moving further into the meeting, the lawyer will touch on many factors of your personal injury and its causes. Ultimately, the consultation is for both parties to learn more about each other to help each decide to work together or not.
Although the attorney knows that you are consulting with them to see if you want to hire them, they also are consulting with you to see if your case is worth taking or the specific type of case they want to represent. Therefore, the consultation with partial consists of the attorney asking you questions and deriving information from you about your injuries, the specifics of the incident, etc.
If the consultation continues to the next phase, it will include the request for more information to better understand your case. It will involve many additional questions that you can expect. This information will be key to helping shape the attorney’s plan of action and next steps, as well as deciding whether or not they want to take on your case. The questions may be in reference to your injuries, such as your willingness to release your medical records from your health insurance provider and all the details of your insurance coverage. They will most definitely want to know if you’ve already spoken to any insurance claims adjusters and what details you provided. In addition, the attorney will be interested to learn if anyone else at the scene has been interviewed as a witness or participant. Once they compile all the information they need about you and the details of what happened, you should have the opportunity to ask the important questions about the attorney or the firm that you would like to know.
All right… now that the attorney has learned all or most of what they need to know to decide to pursue your case, it’s your turn to ask questions and learn about the law firm and its history. You will want to ask pointed questions for the sole purpose of deciding whether or not you feel they are equipped and experienced enough to handle your type of case. You will also want to listen to how they address your questions and if they are showing compassion for your unfortunate circumstances. It’s key that you believe that your personal injury attorney has every intention of fighting for the best settlement possible for you while showing you real care and understanding during this difficult time.
Okay… just as the attorney has to interview you about the facts of your case and your particular situation, it is now your responsibility to yourself to ask the proper questions to ensure that you choose the best personal injury attorney to successfully navigate your case and win you the settlement you believe you deserve. There certainly is no limit on the types of questions or the number of questions you can ask, but some specific questions are certainly more important, such as inquiring as to the extent of experience the attorney has with your type of case, asking how much they think they can secure as a financial settlement and how much are their fees, including case costs and the fee to take on the case. Ultimately, you want to be thorough with your fact-finding mission with any and all attorneys you speak with before making a final decision.
If you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury due to an unfortunate accident in Sarasota or surrounding areas, it is essential that you hire an experienced, skilled, thorough and compassionate attorney. The attorneys at Shapiro|Delgado will ensure that you’re in safe and competent hands throughout the entirety of your case. Call now for a free consultation.
