When people decide that they need to hire a personal injury lawyer in Colombus, they aren’t quite sure what to do first. Obviously, they know they need to call and schedule their free, initial consultation. Beyond that, however, they are at a loss. Do they come empty-handed and just wait for the attorney to ask them questions? Or should they bring a bag full of every letter and email they’ve received so far?
The answer is somewhere in the middle. Of course, you never want to show up for your first meeting with a lawyer empty-handed. There’s no way any Georgia personal injury attorney can evaluate your case that way. At the same time, you don’t want to bring a bunch of disorganized papers. You’d end up spending the whole half hour sorting through documents.
We’ve decided to make this a bit easier for you. Here, we’ll discuss what items you want to bring with you to your free consultation. We’ll also explain what you should do in the days or weeks leading up to this first meeting. And remember – if you have any questions about what you should and shouldn’t do, you can always give us a call. Our friendly and helpful staff can answer almost any question you may have.
Make Sure You Bring a Copy of the Police Report
One of the documents your Georgia personal injury lawyer will need is a copy of the police report. If, for example, you were involved in a car accident, this will be a vital source of information. Even other types of accidents may involve a police report such as a dog bite or assault. Once they review this report, they’ll have a much better idea of what happened.
There’s nothing wrong with you telling your side of the story. But you may not remember everything. People also tend to tell a story in a way that makes them seem less easy. For example, if you were hit in the rear by another driver, there’s a good chance they were at fault. However, if your brake lights weren’t working at the time of the crash, you need to let your lawyer know. These are the sort of facts that can change the course of your lawsuit.
Your attorney will also need the report for more practical reasons. There is a lot of valuable information in that report that your lawyer won’t be able to get any other way. Some of this information includes the following:
- License, registration, and insurance information for the drivers
- Statements made by both drivers
- Contact information for any eyewitnesses along with their statements
- Description of the road conditions and accident scene
- Pictures of the scene and the damaged vehicles
- Notes regarding any tickets issued at the crash scene
Since your attorney can’t get this information on their own, it’s critical that you provide your personal injury lawyer in Columbus with the police report. They can certainly get the report on their own, but they need it to decide whether they want to handle your case.
Your Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer Will Need Your Medical Records
In order to determine how bad your injuries were, your Georgia personal injury lawyer will need a copy of your medical records. One of the reasons we always urge our clients to go to the hospital immediately following their car wreck is so they can be seen by a doctor.
Not only do you need to make sure you’re okay, but you also need to document your injuries. When you arrive at the emergency room, the doctor will examine you. They’ll also run any tests necessary to determine the extent of your injuries. Some of these tests include:
- X-rays
- CT scan
- MRI
- Physical examination
- Neurological examination
If you don’t bring these records with you, it will be hard for your attorney to determine damages. They’ll want to have an idea of this upfront before they offer to represent you in court.
It’s Important that You Bring Copies of Any Letters or Emails You’ve Received From the Insurance Company
In the days or weeks following your accident, you’ll receive a ton of paperwork. You’ll receive a letter from the insurance company confirming that they’ve received your claim. You’ll also receive a letter indicating whether your claim has been approved. Finally, you’ll probably receive some sort of correspondence from the other driver’s attorney. You want to bring all of this to your free, initial consultation.
You want to make sure these papers are in some kind of order. The last thing you want to do is waste your entire time with your lawyer sorting through papers. Put them in a folder and clip them together so they make sense. This way, you can hand them to your attorney and they can refer to them throughout your consultation.
It’s a Good Idea to Bring a List of Questions With You for your Personal Injury Lawyer
One suggestion we always make to our clients is that they bring a list of questions to the consultation. For the days or weeks leading up to your meeting, write down any questions that come to mind. Highlight the ones that are most important to you. These are the questions you want to ask during your free, initial consultation. You can probably wait to get answers to other questions later.
The other thing you should do prior to your meeting is print out copies of any emails you received. These emails could be from the insurance adjuster or even the other driver. The same goes for social media. If the other driver posted anything about the crash on their social media pages, print it out or take a screen print. This could prove very useful in your case.
Call Today and Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation
If you’ve been injured in any sort of personal injury, you may need the help of a Georgia personal injury attorney. If so, just call our office and set up a date and time to come into the office. Take advantage of your free, initial consultation. If you aren’t sure what to bring with you, just review the information provided here.
Since the consultation is free, you really don’t have anything to worry about. If you decide you want to retain our services, you won’t pay anything upfront. In fact, you don’t pay anything until your case settles. So call today and find a date and time that works for you.
