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What To Expect The First Time You Meet A Personal Injury Attorney

Finding yourself at an attorney’s door after a serious accident can be disconcerting. If you’re like most people, this is your first time ever walking into an attorney’s office, and you have no idea what to expect.

Relax. Attorneys are just regular people who have the training and experience to handle a specific set of problems. Your first meeting allows the attorney to get a feel for your case. It also lets you get a feel for the attorney’s style and abilities. That way, if you’re not a good match, you can both walk away.

Here’s what you can likely expect during the first meeting:

Questions about your case

The attorney will probably ask you a number of specific questions that help determine the strengths and weaknesses inherent in your case. You can expect questions about:

  • The accident that caused your injuries
  • How those injuries have affected your ability to work
  • How your personal life has been damaged as a result
  • What kind of insurance coverage you have
  • What conversations you’ve had with any insurance companies or adjustors
  • What your doctor has said about your prognosis

Depending on the nature of your injuries, this could be rather quick, or it could require a little detailed questioning. Don’t be concerned if you don’t know all the answers — just do your best to be clear and complete.

An overview of the attorney’s process

Most attorneys will level with you about any problems they see with your case — but that doesn’t mean your case is destined to lose. Part of an attorney’s job is evaluating risk for their clients and offering their experienced opinion about what the client may expect. This can also help you get a sense of whether an attorney will aggressively pursue your claim.

The attorney should also discuss billing. Most injury attorneys take cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that they don’t get paid unless you recover something, but you should ask if you’ll be charged any additional fees (like photocopying, filing fees, etc.) so that you’re clear about payments.

If you’ve been injured in a serious accident, find out more about the services our office provides. We look forward to hearing from you.