Being involved in a car accident is traumatic no matter how minor. But if you’ve suffered an injury in that car accident, you’re likely dealing with physical pain, medical treatment, and/or recovery time in addition to the headache of dealing with the actual incident itself. Obviously, if you are the victim in an accident where an injury has occurred, you’ll be seeking help from a personal injury attorney, but even that can cause unnecessary stress if you aren’t prepared and don’t know what to expect. At Sessums Law Group, our goal first and foremost is making sure our clients feel confident in our service, at ease with the process, and informed about what’s happening with their case. The first step is assisting them in preparing for their first meeting with us following an accident, so we’ve compiled this short list of four main items to bring to your initial meeting with your attorney.
- Documentation. You need to bring copies of any and all police reports filed regarding the accident. If you don’t already have these, you can contact your local authorities and request copies of this paperwork. Additionally, you’ll need to bring medical records of any treatments pertaining to your injury(ies) acquired at the time of the accident, and all bills associated with this treatment. This will help determine the extent of your suffering outside of the physical injury itself. Financial strain and the recovery process are also effects of the accident and should be taken into account.
- Photos. If you took any photos at the time of the accident bring copies along for your attorney. In the case of a motor vehicle accident, photos of each vehicle and the damage that happened during the collision are important. Photos of injuries sustained are also helpful as evidence, as are pictures of those injuries as they heal over time.
- A written statement. We all know that details of an event fade over time, and can become blurred in our memory. As soon as possible after an accident, take time to write out a detailed statement for your attorney with your account of the accident in question. Include information like weather at the time of the accident, conditions surrounding the accident, if there were any witnesses, the response of the offending party, etc. The more information you include, the better.
- Personal Information. You’ll want all of your own personal information handy for your appointment. Your insurance information, contact info, etc. will be important for your lawyer to have on hand. In addition to this though, you need the personal information for witnesses if possible. Oftentimes if police are involved in the accident they will have taken down much of this information and can pass it onto you (or your attorney directly) but if not, you will likely want to do some of the legwork yourself and have names and contact numbers for witnesses that your attorney can use if needed to glean additional perspectives about the accident. For example, in a dog biting injury, the neighbor who was in the front yard and saw the interaction take place is a good witness to have on file and if police aren’t there to take his or her phone number and name, you’ll want to jot them down.
We hope this helps you feel more prepared as you get ready for your first appointment with your personal injury lawyer. Tampa Bay residents know that Sessums Law Group has their best interest at heart, so when the unexpected comes their way, they call us first. From motor vehicle accidents to injuries on the job, WE STAND FOR YOU!