Civil Litigation

It can be a big waste of time for both you and the lawyer if you are not prepared for your first meeting. Being unprepared can end up costing you money, because it will take longer for the lawyer you hire to get up to speed on your personal injury matter.

The lawyer will want to know who you are and how you can be contacted, and a little about your personal background. Sometimes, a lawyer will also try to make a first meeting more productive by sending you a questionnaire to fill out. If this happens, be sure to fill it out and send it in to the lawyer’s office before the meeting. Also send along copies of any available documents that may be requested in the questionnaire.

Written documentation of your injury and damages is especially important in a personal injury setting. Even if a lawyer doesn’t ask for documentation beforehand, it’s still a good idea to bring a copy of all documents relevant to your situation to the meeting:

• Copies of police reports or accident reports detailing your injury
• Copies of hospital, doctor and therapy records
• Bills from medical care providers
• Information regarding insurance coverage of your medical bills
• Reports from doctors regarding your diagnosis and prognosis
• Information about anticipated future medical costs
• Information regarding work you missed as a result of your injury
• A listing of all the ways your life has been affected by your injury
• A calendar, with all the important dates (date of injury, dates of surgery or other treatment and so forth)
• A description of any interaction with insurance companies
• Copies of correspondence with insurance companies
• Copies of any claims already filed with your employer or an insurance company