How To Prepare For A Meeting With Your Personal Injury Attorney

While it shouldn’t be, we recognize that meeting with your attorney can sometimes be stressful and intimidating. In reality, your attorney is at the meeting with the sole purpose of helping you through a tough time, and the meeting should be comfortable for everyone. 

One thing that can assist a meeting be maximally productive is when everyone comes to the meeting prepared. Here are a few things you should consider when preparing for your next meeting with your accident attorney in San Diego. 

A written narrative of events is helpful. 

By taking the time to write a narrative of all the relevant details surrounding the incident that gave rise to your lawsuit, you’re providing yourself and your lawyer with a valuable tool. After your meeting, your lawyer can take your narrative and use it as a starting point for building out the case. Additionally, during the meeting, you can use the narrative as a point of reference so you don’t forget to mention any important facts. A good rule of thumb is that it’s always better to be too detailed than not detailed enough – make sure to record everything you can recall. 

Bring any evidence you’ve already collected. 

Bring with you anything that you have already collected that may be helpful in the case. If you’ve taken photographs or videos, export them to a flash drive or have them prepared in a cloud drive. If you’ve already obtained your medical records, bring those with you. If you have correspondence (emails, letters, text messages) that may be used as evidence, bring copies of those things. Lastly, a list of witnesses and their contact information is also important evidence. 

Think about your goals. 

Before embarking on a lawsuit, it’s important to consider what you hope to accomplish, as your attorney will tailor the litigation strategy to meet your goals and expectations. Even though your attorney assists, you’re in charge of your case, and you have the final say on important decisions. Some things to consider include what type of damages you think you have valid claims for, whether you have missed work time, and how much compensation you think might be reasonable. 

Make a list of questions – and ask them! 

Making a list of questions is important because it ensures that you will leave the meeting with all of your questions answered, and in turn, feeling informed and supported. Additionally, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions of your lawyer about any and all topics, including on their fees, their experience, and their expectations for the case. Your lawyer should always be open and honest with you, and building an attorney-client relationship based on honesty is important. 

Being prepared for meeting with your San Diego injury attorney is important, but it’s only the first step in forming a relationship that is based on teamwork, mutual respect, and trust. Our office is proud to offer free consultations to prospective clients, and we’re ready to assist you and your family. Contact us today.