- Personal Injury Archive
Preparing for your free consultation with an experienced Georgia accident lawyer is like preparing for a job interview. You want to make sure you’re on time. You also want to be prepared. Have your questions ready and make sure all your paperwork is organized. Here, we’ll talk a little bit about what to expect for your free, initial consultation.
Keep a List of Questions Nearby
It’s always a good idea to keep a notepad nearby in the days and weeks before your free consultation. When you think of questions you want to ask your Georgia accident lawyer, jot them down in your notes. Continue to do this until the day before your consultation.
If you don’t have at least ten (10) questions on your list, you may want to think a little harder. This is an important matter. You’re only going to get one chance to meet with your attorney for free. You want to make it as meaningful and as fruitful as possible.
Some of the questions you may want to start with include:
- Do I have to pay anything upfront?
- How is my attorney paid?
- What happens if I lose?
- Will my case go to trial, or do you think it will settle?
- Will I have to testify in court?
- About how much is my case worth?
- Are you familiar with the defendant’s insurance carrier/attorney?
Of course, every case is unique. Whatever comes to mind is what you should ask. If all else fails, use the list above as a starting point.
Fax or Email All the Documentation to Your Georgia Accident Lawyer
If you’re going to be meeting with your Georgia accident lawyer, you want to send them as much information as possible. Rather than wait until after you meet with them, you should send them a copy of your file before your scheduled meeting. This way, your Georgia accident lawyer has time to review the materials ahead of time. They can become familiar with the basics of your case. This way, your meeting is a prosperous one. The last thing you want to do is waste your time fumbling through a bunch of papers.
If you’re meeting with your attorney by phone, make sure you send the documents to them via email. This way, they can pull them up on their laptop while they’re on the phone with you. If you’re meeting in person, then you can provide them with a paper copy. It may be easier for them to flip through a hard copy rather than pictures. Once you confirm that your attorney has what they need, you can relax until it’s time to meet.
Try to Get a Copy of Your Medical Records Beforehand
In order to get a copy of your medical records, your attorney will need you to sign off on what feels like mountains of paperwork. That’s why it may be better for you to get a copy of these records and forward them to your Georgia accident lawyer. This will help your attorney determine what sort of damages you may be entitled to.
It will also help them see if you had any prior medical conditions that could affect your lawsuit. Request these records as soon as possible after you’re treated. It can take days or weeks to get his information from your doctor and the hospital.
Call to Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation Right Away
A lot of people are nervous about meeting with a Georgia accident lawyer for the first time. They’re afraid they won’t say the right things. They’re also a bit intimidated by the attorney. If you’ve never had to deal with this sort of thing before, it can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s a good idea to prepare ahead of time.
You’ll only get to spend a short amount of time with your attorney during this first meeting. You don’t want to waste precious time sifting through papers or looking for files on your laptop. Have all of this in order before you start your free consultation.
You want to remember – the free consultation is for both you and your Georgia accident lawyer. You want to ask enough questions to get a feel for the attorney. You want to see if they’re the kind of person you’re comfortable with handling your personal business.
At the same time, the attorney wants to make sure your case has merit before they spend any time or resources on it. In your free, initial consultation, you will both get what you need to make a decision about how you want to proceed. That’s why you should call and talk to one of our attorneys as soon as possible after your crash.