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If you’ve been hurt by someone’s negligence, a good first step to pursuing compensation for your injuries is scheduling a consultation with an Alabama personal injury lawyer. To help the meeting go smoothly and be as productive as possible, it’s advisable you bring a few pieces of information and documents with you. If possible, gather:
- Official reports
- Witness information
- Correspondence records,
- Supporting documents,
- A narrative statement, and
- Questions for the lawyer.
Bringing this information and answering the attorney’s questions completely and honestly will help them provide an accurate case evaluation and give you the best chance of success.
Official Reports
Depending on where and how you were injured, there may be official reports documenting the accident. Law enforcement responding to motor vehicle and other accidents usually generate an official, objective report with their findings. An injury at the workplace also generally results in the creation of a report for the purpose of workers’ compensation claims.
Witness Information
It’s extremely helpful for a personal injury attorney to be able to contact any eyewitnesses or others involved in the accident or your treatment. If possible, bring names, addresses, and phone numbers for:
- Medical treatment providers,
- Hospitals and urgent care centers,
- Ambulance services,
- Insurance companies and adjusters,
- Other parties involved in the accident, and
- Eyewitnesses.
Correspondence Records
Informal written and verbal records of communication between you and insurance companies, witnesses, or other involved parties can help your attorney investigate and prove your claim. Bring copies or recordings of:
- Emails,
- Voicemails,
- Texts,
- Phone call logs,
- Letters, and
- Messages on social media.
Even if the communication doesn’t explicitly talk about your injuries or the accident, it may be relevant. Threats, settlement offers, and damaging statements can be extremely helpful, and your attorney will want to see them.
Supporting Documents
Other documents can help a personal injury attorney determine the strength of your claim. These documents can come from many places:
- Insurance policies
- Photographs and videos of the accident
- Medical records and bills
- Receipts and bills for expenses due to the injury
- Paystubs
- Bank statements
- Legal documents regarding your injury or from another party represented by counsel.
Narrative Statement
Take some time to prepare a timeline of the incident that injured you – include as many specific details and as much information as possible, such as times, dates, and addresses. Write down what you know as quickly as possible to ensure you don’t forget critical details that may not be in other documents.
Questions
Even though the lawyer will be asking a lot of questions during your consultation, remember you can ask questions, too. Writing a question list can help you remember important issues to discuss. Consider asking about:
- The strength of your case,
- The time frame,
- Cost,
- The value of your case,
- Whether the attorney has a team,
- How you can help,
- Communications and updates, and
- Next steps.
The lawyer should be willing and able to hear your questions and give clear, honest, educated answers.
Contact an Attorney
If you or a loved one were hurt in an accident, the skilled Mobile Personal Injury Attorneys at Stevenson Klotz can help fight for your rights and deliver the best possible outcome for your case. We have years of experience delivering comprehensive representation and securing millions in recovery on their behalf. Call us at (850) 706-4226 or complete our online Contact Page to schedule your no-risk, no-obligation initial case evaluation. Let us use our knowledge and resources to help make the best of a bad situation.