Getting the Most Out of Your Free Consultation with a Personal Injury Lawyer
The selection of a personal injury attorney should not be taken lightly because the experience, knowledge and resources of the law firm you retain can have a profound impact on your personal injury claim. Montlick & Associates offers a free consultation, which provides an opportunity for potential clients to ask questions, obtain a case evaluation and determine if a particular attorney is the right choice. This initial consultation can be a valuable opportunity for injury victims to assess the merits of retaining a law firm, but it is a good idea to take steps to maximize the value of this initial meeting. Our experienced and caring personal injury attorneys in Georgia have suggested a few items that you may want to bring to your initial consultation with a lawyer at our law firm.
Accident Reports: Whether you are involved in a car accident or a fall on the wet floor of a grocery store, there could be an accident or incident report. If you are injured in a motor vehicle crash, you should summon law enforcement so that an accident report can be prepared. This accident report typically will include important information like the position of the vehicles, accident narrative, physical evidence (e.g. skid marks), witness accounts, visible injuries and more. The report also will include photos of vehicle damage and other relevant evidence. If you are injured while shopping during a fall in a store, there may not be a law enforcement report. However, the store should prepare an incident report, and you should request a copy. Whether a report is prepared by law enforcement or the management of a store, you should bring a copy of the report to your consultation. The personal injury attorney can use the report to evaluate your claim and identify potential issues. If you were in an auto accident and the report is not yet ready, make sure you bring the accident report number so that you attorney can order it if he or she takes your case.
Medical Records & Bills: Most personal injury victims would like an estimation of the value of their case. Although there is no guarantee that an attorney will be able to provide this in an initial meeting, the attorney will be in a better position to discuss damages if you have all of your medical bills and records. The attorney will be able to review medical reports regarding your diagnosis, course of treatment and future prognosis. Additionally, the medical bills enable the attorney to quantify a key portion of your damages. The attorney will be in a better position to discuss damages if you provide these types of documents. However, our attorneys recommend that you contact us as soon after your accident as possible to learn about you legal rights and options. In such cases, you may not be in possession of these types of documents, which is okay.
Photographs & Evidence Gathered at the Scene: If you are physically able to take photographs of injuries, vehicle damage, the surrounding area, vehicle position and other relevant pictures, you should bring these photos to the consultation because they can be viewed along with the police report. The photos you take might reveal information not available in the report or even expose inaccuracies. If you gathered witness names and contact information, this information also should be brought to the consultation. The attorney might want to talk to a witness to clarify facts that are unclear when evaluating your case in terms of liability issues.
Insurance & Driver’s License Information: Even if liability is clear and you suffered severe injuries, there is no guarantee that you have a case. If there is no viable defendant with insurance or assets to pay a judgment, a lawsuit might provide an empty victory. If you provide the driver’s license and insurance information of the other driver, the attorney can confirm the insurance policy is still in place and conduct an asset search to determine the other driver has personal assets to satisfy a settlement or judgment. Even if the other driver committed hit and run or had no insurance, you should bring your own auto insurance policy to the consultation. The attorney can review the policy to determine if you have a claim against your own uninsured motorist coverage. Moreover, the accident report will likely have the required insurance information as well.
Put Our Law Firm's Over 39 Years of Legal Experience to Work For Your Case!
If you or someone you love has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, fall on a wet floor or other type of accident, you might be entitled to financial compensation. Our personal injury attorneys in Georgia have been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast for over 39 years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.
No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
Source: Montlick.com
Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law
17 Executive Park Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Telephone: 1 (800) LAW-NEED
Telephone: 1 (404) 529-6333
Open: 24 hours, 7 Days a Week