When you’ve been injured and you’re looking to hire a personal injury lawyer in New York, one of your first steps should be to schedule a free consultation with a New York personal injury law firm. This free consultation offers an important opportunity for you to:
- Learn more about your rights and options
- Get an experienced professional’s view of your case
- Get a feel for the law firm to help determine whether it’s the right choice for you
Making the most of this first conversation requires some preparation on your part. Every New York personal injury law firm is a bit different. Some firms may provide you with a list of information to bring to the consultation. Of course, you should make every effort to collect any information that the firm requests. Don’t stop there, though. Be prepared to get your own questions answered and gather the information you need to make a good decision about how to move forward.
Bring This Information to Your Initial Consultation with a New York Personal Injury Law Firm
If the law firm does not provide you with a list of information to bring, this general list will help you to be as prepared as possible for the initial meeting:
- The date of the incident
- The location where the injury occurred
- A description of the event
- A list of your injuries and treatment to date, including any medical records you have available
- Total (or approximate) medical and other expenses to date, including bills if available
- Any additional costs or damages, such as repairs to your vehicle
- Any photographs or other evidence you have
- Police reports, if applicable
- Information about the responsible party, such as the driver of the other vehicle or the owner of the property where you were injured
- Complete information about any insurance companies involved (for example, your automobile insurer if the injury was caused by a motor vehicle accident, the other parties insurer if you have that information, your medical insurance provider)
- A list of any witnesses to the accident
If you have other information that you believe is relevant, err on the side of being prepared. The attorney can decide which documents to review and how much attention to give each, but it is better to have too much information available than not enough.
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Determining Whether a New York City Personal Injury Law Firm is Right for You
One of the key benefits of this initial meeting is that it provides a no-commitment way for you to talk to an attorney and determine whether the law firm is a good fit for you and your case. You will also want to use this time to ensure that you have realistic expectations about how the case will move forward.
When you’re talking about something so important and relating traumatic events, it’s easy to get distracted or lose sight of important points. That’s why you’ll want to write down any questions you have for the attorney and take the list to the initial consultation with you. Some questions you may want to consider, in addition to those that will help you determine whether the NYC personal injury attorney is the right one for you, include:
- What do you see as the obstacles in this case?
- What will you need from me to keep the case moving forward?
- What is your best estimate of the timeline I can expect?
- What is your turnaround time for returning client calls?
- Can you provide an educated estimate as to the value of the case?
Of course, a personal injury attorney will not be able to give you definite answers about issues such as how long the case will take or how much money you can expect to recover. There are too many variables in play. However, a seasoned personal injury lawyer can give you ranges and estimates that are based on past experience and observation.
The New York personal injury law firm you choose may be your most important resource as you pursue fair compensation and recover from your injuries. Give yourself every opportunity to get off on the right foot by preparing for your free consultation.