Interviewing a personal injury lawyer may be the last experience you wish to have after being involved in an accident. However, it is important that you get an attorney right away to help you with everything that needs to be done. If you are likely to recover for an injury, an attorney may represent you on a contingency basis. For example, the attorney may ask for compensation at 40% of what you recover for your injury. In other situations, you can pay for an attorney’s services, or seek pro bono assistance. Many attorneys who take on pro bono cases still require that the client pay a reduced fee for the attorney’s services.
It is equally important that you prepare for your interview with the attorney you hire to represent you. If you do not receive the answers you are looking for, you may need to consider interviewing another attorney.
This article will provide you with tips to prepare for your interview with your personal injury attorney.
There are two main areas of preparation for interviewing an attorney you are considering retaining. The first regards the credentials and experience of the attorney and the second regards the details of the accident or injury. You want to be very organized. You also want to have all of the information about your accident or personal injury available for your attorney when you go to your interview.
Before you interview a personal injury attorney, prepare a list of questions. Be ready to question the attorney’s credentials. Remember that although the attorney is the person with the expertise regarding the personal injury claim, you are the person who will be most affected by the decision to hire or not to hire this attorney. Make a good decision or it can cost you time, money and peace of mind.
Ask the attorney how many cases like yours s/he has experienced, and the results obtained. You can also ask the attorney about which law school s/he attended, and how s/he did in law school. Some relevant law school classes include torts, oral advocacy and negotiation. You may wish to ask about the attorney’s negotiation strategy or style.
The other way you want to prepare for your interview is to write out the details of what happened regarding the personal injury. Be very specific, including details about the accident such as what time of day it was, and if you were in a traffic accident, what lane you were in, if you had recently changed lanes, all street names and intersections, when you became aware of the other party and anything else you can remember. Take notes about whether you had taken any medication that day, or any alcohol that day or the day before. If you suffered a personal injury, keep notes EVERY DAY about how the injury is affecting you now. For example, rate your pain level on a scale of one to ten, and keep track of it multiple times a day. Include details in your notes such as dates and times of meetings with doctors or other health care practitioners, and what they told you.
Now that you have a list of questions to ask the personal injury attorney you are considering retaining, and your notes on what happened, you are ready for your meeting. Bring paper and a pen and take notes: don’t rely on your memory. If you do not like the answers you get, don’t sign anything. Remember, you can easily find another personal injury attorney.
