Your First Meeting with a Detroit Personal Injury Lawyer

Suffering a debilitating injury as a result of someone’s negligence or lack of care is a very frightening and stressful situation. Having to meet with a personal injury lawyer about filing a lawsuit about the matter usually only adds to the anxiety, especially if you’ve never met the lawyer before and need to evaluate whether the attorney in question is the right one for your case.

Many people find attorneys intimidating, but it’s important to remember that the lawyer is there to help you and take some of the pressure off your situation. If you meet with an attorney who doesn’t make you feel comfortable or isn’t easy for you to talk to, you need to find another attorney. If you aren’t comfortable talking to your attorney, you’ll most likely forget to tell him or her details about your case that could be important. Success of your case depends on you having a good relationship with your attorney.

If you are nervous about meeting with a Michigan personal injury lawyer for the first time, see if you can talk to the attorney over the phone first. Oftentimes, you’ll discover the attorney is not so difficult to talk to, and you’ll feel less anxious about meeting with him or her.

Preparing to Meet with a Personal Injury Lawyer

Before meeting with a personal injury lawyer, you’ll want to prepare a bit so the attorney can accurately assess your case and respond intelligently to your questions. Preparing ahead of time can also lessen anxiety over the meeting and ensure you won’t forget something important. For the most part, your preparation will involve gathering your thoughts about the accident or situation that led to your injuries along with questions you have about your case. You’ll also want to gather bills and information related to your case. Here’s a short checklist of information and things to bring to your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer:

• Notes about the accident, including where and when it happened and the events that led up to the accident, along with things that happened immediately following the accident, such as whether you sought medical treatment or whether any potential witnesses left the scene. Also include notes about weather conditions at the time and the sobriety of people involved, if you know
• Any bills, invoices or receipts related to medical treatment or other expenses you incurred as a result of the accident
• Paycheck stubs or other proof of income to show how much income you’ve lost or will potentially lose as a result of the injury
• Any photos you have of the accident scene, of vehicles and people involved, or of events immediately prior to the accident
• Any police reports or other documents related to the accident that you have access to
• Notes about any special needs you have (i.e., do you need an attorney who speaks Spanish or specializes in back injuries)
• Any questions you have about your case, including questions that enable you to accurately evaluate whether the attorney is a good match for you and your case (See these articles for ideas on questions to ask: Choosing a Good Personal Injury Lawyer: What to Look For; How to Choose a Boat Injury Lawyer)

In Michigan, the personal injury lawyers at Sachs Waldman, P.C., have extensive experience in accident injury cases, product liability, premises liability and other personal injury and wrongful death cases. We can help you obtain compensation for your medical costs and other damages when you’ve been injured in Michigan. Find out why hundreds of personal injury victims trust their case to Sachs Waldman, P.C.

Call our Detroit personal injury attorneys at 1-800-638-6722 to schedule a free consultation.