Before Meeting Your Attorney

How to Prepare Prior to Meeting with your Attorney

When you've been in a car accident, it's important to be prepared when you go to meet with your attorney that is handling your personal injury case. After an accident has occurred, it's important to seek medical attention for your injuries, gather identifying information of all parties and witnesses, and to report the accident to the authorities. As the victim of a car accident, you will need to keep a careful record of the details of the accident, and consult with an attorney who can guide you along the process.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Even if the accident was not your fault, you should contact your insurance company to report the accident. You may be asked to provide the insurance information of the liable party, so be prepared for this when you call your insurance provider. You do not have to give any statement to your insurance company regarding the details of the accident, and in fact it is best to leave this up to your attorney.

Retain All of Your Crash Related Documents

After the accident, it's important to keep all crash related documents in one place. You should keep all accident reports, medical bills, car repair bills and medical records from treatment providers all in the same place so that they are easily accessible to you. When you are trying to build a case for a personal injury lawsuit, keeping excellent track of all the details is essential.

When You Have Questions, Contact Your Attorney

When you have hired an attorney after a car accident, you should forward any questions regarding the accident to your attorney's office. This includes questions from your insurance company, and any phone calls that you may receive from the insurance company of the person who is at fault. Let everyone know that you have an attorney working on your case, and let your car accident attorney handle any questions for you.

Attend All Medical Appointments

As you go through the personal injury lawsuit process, it is imperative that you attend all of your medical appointments. You should be keeping a daily journal of how you are feeling, and any treatment that you received that day for your injuries. If you find a particular treatment isn't helping you, always talk with your doctor first before you make any medical decisions on your own. The more you participate actively in your recovery, the clearer it will be to prove your injuries. Skipping medical appointments or not seeking treatment for your injuries makes it appear as if you aren't as injured as you are claiming.

Stay Off of Social Media

While it may seem justifiable to go on social media and rant about the car accident you were just in, the best advice is to avoid discussing your car accident on social media. Statements that you make on social media can be admissible in court. If you are claiming to be so severely injured from your accident that you can hardly walk, yet you are posting pictures of you playing sports on social media, this can all be used against you in your court case. When you are the victim of a car accident and you are seeking damages through a personal injury lawsuit, it is best to refrain from using social media for any reason.

Don't Be Tempted to Sign

You may be offered a settlement from the responsible party's insurance company, but you should never sign anything until it is reviewed by your lawyer. The insurance company is going to settle for as little money as possible, and the first offer is generally a starting point from which to negotiate. While the sum of money may be useful to you in the short term, your attorney is looking out for your long term financial needs. Don't sign any agreements or releases until you have had the chance to show them to your attorney.

When you have been the victim in a car accident and your medical bills are piling up, it's time to consult with a personal injury lawyer. The level of your injury, the amount of your pain and suffering, and your potential disability will all be considered when it comes time to determine your compensation.

How Compensation is Determined in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

As the victim in a car accident, understanding how your potential compensation will be determined will help you understand why you have to be so thorough with your record keeping. Pecuniary damages are first considered. These are damages with monetary value, such as medical bills, income lost from not working, and car repair bills. Pecuniary damages are easy to measure, simply by providing a bill to the courts. Non-pecuniary damages are those damages that don't have a specific value, and this is where the courts have a lot of leeway when it comes to determining your compensation.

The judge and the jury will look at your case for a number of factors when considering non-pecuniary damages. They will consider how serious your injury is, whether you will ever be able to return to work, or if you have lost any use of limbs. They will also look at your pain and suffering, and in particularly heinous accidents, the judge can consider awarding damages that will prevent the perpetrator from doing the same thing in the future. How your compensation is determined will depend on how well your case is presented to the judge, and how serious the judge feels your injuries were.

Bottom Line: If you have been in a car accident, it's time to meet with an attorney that can help you make it through the process. With good planning and careful record keeping, you will be able to receive the compensation that you deserve for your injuries. When you have medical bills mounting up and you aren't able to return to work, it is essential that you have an attorney working for you to help you get results. While it's possible to negotiate with an insurance company on your own, you will receive more money in the end if you work with a lawyer for your personal injury lawsuit.

George Tait Law and its lawyers are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted.  Our information source is cited in the article.  If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm.  Do not act solely upon the information provided herein.  Get a consultation.  The best law firms will provide a free consultation.  We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article.  The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.  George Tait Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.