Case Value Determination And Your Personal Injury Attorney
Posted on: 27 January 2019
When another driver causes an accident, you are likely entitled to be paid money damages. It can be extremely difficult to deal with the results of an accident on your own and most people find that a personal injury attorney is important. When you meet with your attorney for the first time, you should be prepared to have your case evaluated. Read on to find out why this is so and what to be ready to explain to the attorney.
Contingency Plans
Luckily, most personal injury attorneys work on what is known as a contingency fee basis. What this means is that you won't owe the attorney any legal fees unless you win your case. When you accept an offer from the other side or you win a judgment after a trial, a certain percentage of the money goes to your attorney in payment for services rendered. Attorneys won't take cases that are not winnable, and they seldom bother if the sum of money in question is insufficient to pay both of you. Your attorney will be interviewing you about the case, gathering facts, and evaluating the evidence before they make their decision about representing you.
Be Ready With Answers
To be prepared, expect to answer the following questions at your first client-attorney meeting.
Who have you spoken with about this case? Tell the attorney about any conversations you've had with other lawyers, your own insurance carrier, the other driver, and the insurance adjuster for the other driver. If you have done so, the attorney will want to know what you told them. The attorney will probably warn you not to speak about the case to anyone, whether it be on social media or with any callers.
Give a summary of what happened the day of the accident, including how it happened and how you know that you were not at fault. Fault is important. You might be partially at fault for the accident with the other driver being mostly at fault. Any time fault is divided, your money damages lessen.
What medical treatments have you had, so far? It's helpful to jot down a list of medical visits, surgeries, medication, etc. prior to your visit.
What have you been told about your injuries? Will more treatment be needed in the future? You may be entitled to coverage of your future treatment needs.
Have you ever been in a car accident before? Past injuries might influence your claim.
Are you still in physical pain and if so, how much? Pain and suffering brought on by the wreck is another form of damage and the monetary payment for this area of compensation can be higher than all others.
You may be entitled to be paid money damages so speak to a car accident lawyer today.
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