If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover damages through a personal injury lawsuit. You can take advantage of a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer to understand the strengths of your case, how personal injury claims work, and how long your case should take. However, you should prepare before your free personal injury consultation to get the most out of it. Once you understand how to get the most out of your free consultation, schedule a case review to get started and learn about your legal options.
1. Free Consultations Are Obligation-free
The first thing you should know about a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer is that the consultation is obligation-free.
Some people may hesitate to take advantage of a free personal injury consultation because they think they will be obligated to hire an attorney or file a claim. However, these worries are unfounded.
There are many reasons you may decide not to hire a lawyer. Whatever your reason, you can walk away from a free consultation without hiring the attorney guilt-free.
You are also not under any obligation to file a claim. Some people want to consult with a personal injury attorney to gain a better understanding of the personal injury claims process and decide if they want to pursue a case. If you discuss your case with a lawyer and decide you do not want to move forward, you can leave.
Importantly, your free consultation is actually free. You can have a full consultation with a personal injury attorney without paying anything. There are no hidden fees.
2. Your Discussion Is Confidential
When you go to a free consultation, you should feel safe sharing your information with the personal injury attorney. The personal injury attorney is obligated to keep all your details confidential. You may consult multiple attorneys and still be confident that none of them will share the information about your case with anyone else.
3. Your Time Is Limited
To get the most out of your free personal injury consultation, you should come prepared. Your time during a free consultation is limited because personal injury attorneys dedicate most of their time during the workday to paying clients. Although you may wish you had more time during your free consultation, you should remember that once you are a client, your attorney’s dedication will be focused on you.
Keeping in mind that your time is limited, you should make sure that you have your questions and information organized. If you have a plan going into a free consultation, you are more likely to get the information and assurances that you need.
4. Bring Updated Notes and Records About Your Personal Injury Accident
You should bring notes and records about your personal injury accident to your free consultation. Although a personal injury lawyer will do his or her best to assess your case based on your explanation of the accident, the lawyer will give you better advice if he or she has more accurate information.
You should consider bringing the following items to your free consultation:
- Accident reports
- Citations or tickets
- Insurance information
- Names of witnesses
- Medical bills
- Medical records
- Photographs of your injuries
Your attorney will be able to look at your documentation and get a better idea about who was liable for your accident and what type of compensation you should seek for your injuries.
5. You Should Ask About What to Expect
During a free personal injury consultation, the lawyer should be able to tell you what to expect in a personal injury claims process. Filing a lawsuit can be confusing and intimidating. The personal injury attorney should be able to explain the steps of a case, from filing the case with the court and serving the defendant to waiting for a jury verdict.
The personal injury attorney should also explain the settlement process. Almost 95% of personal injury lawsuits settle before trial. The idea of a trial may be intimidating. However, knowing that your case is likely to settle long before trial may help allay your fears.
6. Lawyers Use Consultations to Screen Cases
You use free personal injury consultations to get information about your possible personal injury claim. However, the personal injury attorney is also gathering information about you and your case.
Personal injury attorneys make money based on how much money they can win for their clients. Therefore, they take cases that they are likely to win and that have a high value. When you bring your case to an attorney, they review your information to determine if the liability is clear and if your damages are significant. If your case involves a fender bender with minimal damages, the attorney may determine it is not worth their time to take your case.
7. Free Consultations Are Job Interviews for Lawyers
The free consultation is also a time for you to decide if you want to hire an attorney. While you are getting advice about your case, you should also find out information about the personal injury attorney. You should determine if you are confident in the attorney’s abilities and if you two are a good fit.
Keep in mind that experience matters. Attorneys who have handled multiple personal injury cases are more familiar with the process and the likely outcomes. For example, experienced personal injury attorneys are more likely to be able to estimate a reasonable settlement for pain and suffering based on the details of your case.
8. You Should Discuss Legal Fees
Before you conclude your free personal injury consultation, you should discuss legal fees with the attorney. Most personal injury lawyers use a contingency fee, meaning that they take a percentage of your total settlement amount if you win your case. However, if you lose your case, the attorney does not take a fee.
You can ask the attorney if they collect the costs of litigation on top of the contingency fee. You may want to discuss the average personal injury settlement in Colorado in comparison to your potential settlement to determine how much money you would actually receive when you win your case.
9. You Should Discuss Deadlines
Finally, you should ask the attorney what you need to know about the personal injury statute of limitations. In Colorado, you typically have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. The personal injury attorney can look at the type of personal injury claim you have and when the injury occurred and tell you when you must file your claim with the court.
Schedule a Free Personal Injury Consultation Today
If you have suffered a personal injury and want to know what your claim is worth, a personal injury lawyer can help you during a free consultation. You can use these tips to make sure you get the most out of your free personal injury consultation.