When it’s your first time filing a personal injury claim, you might be intimidated by the idea of hiring a lawyer. While this is understandable, you shouldn’t be. It’s their job to help clients feel comfortable in their legal claim and guide them through the entire process. Their goal is to make you feel confident in choosing them and give you peace of mind.
One of those ways that you can feel prepared and less intimidated about hiring a personal injury attorney is by knowing what they’re going to ask you at your first meeting. That way, you can feel prepared and have a general idea about how you will answer. The more prepared you are, the more confident you can feel while speaking with a lawyer.
What Your Lawyer Will Ask You
When you go to your first meeting with a personal injury lawyer, you might be overwhelmed by all of the questions they have for you. You might also feel that the questions they’re asking you are invasive, and you could feel like they’re blaming you for what happened. While the questions are probably incredibly personal, they’re just trying to get all the information they need about your accident.
They’re not blaming you. They just need you to be honest about all the details so that they know what your case will involve. For example, if you get into a car accident and your lawyer asks you if you were distracted behind the wheel, they’re not blaming you. They’re trying to figure out if you contributed to the crash at all.
Here are some of the questions you should be prepared to answer when you go to meet with your personal injury lawyer for the first time:
- Have you filed a claim before?
- What happened?
- When did it happen?
- Did you contribute to your accident happening at all?
- Did you get the information of the other parties involved?
- Did you talk to any witnesses and get their information?
- Did you take pictures of the scene or your damages?
- Is there a police report of your accident?
- Were you injured?
- Did you seek medical treatment?
- What medical bills do you have?
- What other costs have you incurred?
- Are you able to go back to work?
- Have you missed wages?
- Did you contact the insurance company?
- What have you told the insurance adjuster?
- What are your finances looking like?
- What is the size of your household and how many people rely on you?
While these aren’t the only questions that your personal injury attorney will have for you, they’re some of the most basic ones that will apply to your accident and getting justice. You can prepare for these questions by gathering all the documentation and information you have from your accident and bringing it to your first meeting.
You can also review all this information and write notes about what happened so that you have everything fresh in your memory. You won’t want to guess when you’re speaking with your lawyer—you’ll need to know the facts so that they can build your case.
What You Should Ask Your Lawyer
It’s important to prepare so that you know what your lawyer will likely ask you, but it’s equally as important to know some of the questions that you should ask your potential attorney as well. Here are some of the most essential questions you should ask so that you have a firm idea of whether or not they are the right legal representation for you:
- How long have you been in practice?
- How many cases have you handled that are similar to mine?
- Will you be working on my case alone or will you have help?
- When can I contact you?
- What do you think is fair compensation?
- What are your fees?
- How long do you estimate this case lasting?
- How many other cases are you handling right now?
While these might seem like basic questions to ask a lawyer, they are essential for you because you need to know what their schedule is like, how much time they’re dedicating to your claim, how experienced they are, and whether or not they fit your budget. That way, you can decide if they’re the right fit for you and your type of claim.
Our Richmond Personal Injury Lawyer Will Represent You
When you’ve been in an accident, you want to hire a personal injury lawyer so that you can have guidance throughout the entire process of filing a claim. Our Richmond personal injury attorney is here to ensure that you feel confident. At the Law Office of Todd W. Burris, we’re dedicated to getting our clients justice. Reach out to our office today so we can speak about your options.
