What to Expect in a Personal Injury Consultation

If you’ve been wrongfully injured and are looking to file a personal injury claim, you probably have hundreds of questions about the process of hiring a personal injury lawyer, preparing for your settlement or trial, and the aftermath of the case. We are here to take the guesswork out of what you can expect in a consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers.

Your first meeting with a personal injury attorney is important because it gives you a chance to learn more about the process of filing personal injury claims and it also allows you to evaluate the lawyer’s level of expertise in a case such as yours.

-Jon Montagna

You can expect to have an open discussion with your attorney about the following topics:

Understanding the legal process

An experienced lawyer is aware that the legal process can be difficult to understand for the common citizen so they will take the time to explain how best to proceed with your case for a favorable outcome. Your attorney should walk you through the legal process step-by-step and give you a look into the behind-the-scenes action that leads up to the culmination of your trial and the aftermath. 

Filling out documents, legal briefs, and requests for replies can be time-consuming and your attorney should discuss these steps with you.

Examining your case

It’s important that you are completely open and honest with the personal injury lawyer you are meeting with in order for him or her to decide how best to proceed with legal action. They will ask you the who, what, when, where, and why of your case, which will lead to a detailed discussion of the specifics surrounding your case. It’s important to remember that the lawyer is not making you relive what was potentially a traumatic event for any other reason but to get you the best results possible.

Setting expectations for your role in the case

You play a significant role in the outcome of your case. At your first consultation, the personal injury lawyer should walk you through the steps you need to take in order to ensure success. This may include never missing doctor appointments and being completely open and honest through every step of the process. 

Discuss fees and communications

Whether you’ve decided to move forward with the personal injury lawyer or not, he or she should explain the next steps and everyone’s responsibilities as you proceed, including fees. They should explain to you the fee agreement which includes what services the law firm will perform and how and when they should be paid. Make sure you understand all aspects of the costs and ask for an estimate of what you will be required to pay. 

Once you understand all money-related aspects, your lawyer should discuss how the case will proceed. They should understand the goals for your claim and explain how they will help you achieve them.

How to decide if the personal injury lawyer is right for you

You should not feel like you have to commit after the first consultation. It’s wise to shop around to find someone you feel comfortable with and someone you feel can get you the best possible outcome. In this case, it’s important to remember that the lawyer is not the only one that should be asking questions. It’s a good idea to treat this like an interview to determine if he or she is right for you. 

Use the conversation to gauge if this particular personal injury lawyer has experience with your situation. For example, if you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury, you want a lawyer who has experience with proving these injuries and obtaining fair compensation – someone who has connections with experts who can testify how your injuries will impact your future. The more experienced the lawyer is with the specifics of your case, the more likely they are to obtain a favorable outcome. 

While many lawyers will offer online consultations, we don’t recommend proceeding with someone until you’ve met them in person. 

If you’ve been through a traumatic experience, the most important thing to focus on is healing from the situation. The last thing you’ll want to do is spend all of your time fighting to be compensated for it. At Montagna Law, we will support you and do all the difficult legal work for you so that you can focus on recovery. If you’ve been injured, meeting with one of our personal injury lawyers will help take the stress of the case out of your hands and place the task on someone with the expertise to achieve the compensation you deserve.