Three Questions A Personal Injury Attorney Will Ask You During An Initial Consultation
Posted on: 27 December 2017
There are a number of situations in which you may file a personal injury claim. You may have been involved in a car accident, been injured in a slip and fall accident, been bitten by someone's dog, suffered from medical malpractice, been injured on a construction site or sustained injuries as the result of a defective or faulty product. Regardless of why you are filing a personal injury claim, if you are filing one, you will likely be meeting with a personal injury attorney for a consultation.
If you have never met with a personal injury attorney before, you may be unsure as to what you can expect during this meeting. Here are three questions a personal injury attorney will ask you during an initial consultation and why they ask these questions.
Why Do You Feel the Other Party Was at Fault for Your Injuries?
One of the first questions that a personal injury lawyer will ask you is to describe the accident and why you feel the other party was at fault for your injuries. In order to file a personal injury claim, the other party has to have some responsibility or negligence that caused your injuries. You cannot file a claim against them simply because you tripped on their property or didn't read the instructions and used a product incorrectly and injured yourself. An attorney will want to know why you feel the other party was at fault or what their responsibility was for your injuries.
Have You Met With a Doctor Yet?
Another key question that will be asked is whether you have met with a doctor yet and what your diagnosis is. In order to file a personal injury claim, you must have sustained injuries. A personal injury attorney needs to ensure there is money to be made from your case, so they need to find out whether you are injured and the types of injuries you sustained.
Have You Spoken With Any Insurance Companies or Adjusters Yet?
The last question you will be asked during an an initial consultation is whether you have spoken to any insurance companies or adjusters yet. If you have, the attorney will want to know what has been said. It is always advised that you refrain from giving a statement to the insurance company until you have spoken to an attorney. What you say can be used against you later on. As such, you want to avoid answering certain questions, especially if they pertain to any possible fault you may have had in the accident.
An initial consultation is your opportunity to sit down with a personal injury attorney and determine if they are someone you would like to work with. Likewise, it is the attorney's opportunity to sit down with you and decide if they feel you have a compensable case that they would like to take on. As such, they ask questions to determine make this decision. If you are meeting with an attorney, you should be prepared to answer these questions, as they will be asked during a consultation so a personal injury lawyer can determine if you are a good fit for them.
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