After someone suffers a personal injury due to another’s negligence, very often a top auto accident lawyer College Park MD provides can help recover the victim’s accident costs. At Cohen & Cohen our attorneys have fought for the rights of victims for more than twenty years. Our legal team has recovered more than $100 million on behalf of our clients.
Cohen & Cohen offers personal injury victims a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys. This is an opportunity to discuss your auto accident case and to discover how an experienced lawyer may be able to help you recover your damages. Prior to the initial consultation, you may find the following information helpful to get the most out of your first meeting with a College Park MD auto accident lawyer.
What You Need to Know About Meeting with a Lawyer During the Initial Consultation
In a busy law firm, a lawyer’s schedule may be very tight, so time is short. By arriving prepared and knowing what to expect, you can maximize the value of that initial free consultation.
The Initial Consultation
- Arrive 10-15 minutes early and be prepared to wait. If the lawyer is running behind, understand that your consultation may not start on time.
- Bring your organized notes, a pad of blank paper, and a working pen.
- Make copies of all your paperwork and notes so that you can leave them with the lawyer for his or her reference at their request.
During the consultation, you’ll have the opportunity to tell an auto accident lawyer in College Park MD about your injury and how it was caused in the accident. You’ll also be able to explain how that injury has affected your quality of life, ability to perform your job, and other important points. After providing the lawyer with this information, he or she will ask you any questions they may have. By anticipating what those questions may be, you can have the answers prepared and be able to present them quickly and efficiently.
What An Auto Accident Lawyer College Park MD Offers May Want to Know
Because every lawyer has their own style and every auto accident is unique, this is merely a guideline. If you have pertinent information about the accident or your injury which is not mentioned below, by all means include it in your notes. If the attorney asks you for information which you haven’t prepared, it’s important that you not guess the answer. If you hire that attorney to represent you, you can provide additional information at a later time.
- To fully understand the extent of your injury, an auto accident lawyer College Park MD accident victims trust may request that you authorize them to have access to your medical records. He or she will likely need you to sign a standard medical records release form.
- Make detailed notes about your personal injury and any treatments you have received, or medications that you have taken. Include the names and contact information of the hospital, physician, and other medical providers you’ve seen to treat your injury.
- Bring copies of your auto and health insurance policies so that the attorney can review your coverage.
- If you’ve spoken with any insurance adjusters about your auto accident, write down everything you remember saying and provide this to the attorney.
- If you have photos of the accident scene, or of damage to your vehicle or other vehicles involved, be prepared to show them to the attorney.
After the Initial Consultation
An auto accident lawyer College Park MD personal injury victims recommend under similar circumstances may not give you an immediate answer about whether or not they will represent you. They may wish to first review the information about your case and consider their availability. After they come to a decision, it may look like any of the following scenarios:
Scenario One
If the lawyer declines to represent you, it may be for any number of reasons. This does not mean you should necessarily give up on hiring a lawyer. Take their response into consideration before moving on to meet with another attorney.
Scenario Two
If the lawyer would like to represent you, but you have reservations about the lawyer, you are not obligated to hire him or her after a free consultation. You have every right to meet with another auto accident lawyer College Park MD has to offer.
Scenario Three
An auto accident lawyer College Park MD drivers recommend may refer you to another lawyer. It may be because they don’t have the available resources to take on your case, or it may be that a different personal injury lawyer is better suited to represent you.
Hiring an Auto Accident Lawyer College Park MD Victims Trust
Once you and an attorney come to agreement about representation, you can expect the following to happen:
- You will likely be asked to sign a contract or agreement that specifies the lawyer’s name and that he or she will represent you for your personal injury settlement or lawsuit. Read this carefully before signing. If you need more time or wish to take it home to review, do so. You should not feel pressured to sign on the spot if you are not comfortable.
- Your attorney should be able to outline his or her immediate strategy and a general timeframe of events relevant to your case. Know that some things will be out of their hands that could affect the timeframe.
- Your attorney may instruct you that it’s important that you not discuss the case with anyone or post anything about it on social media. If you don’t follow their advice, it may hurt your case.
- If your attorney does not give an indication of how they will communicate with you (phone, letter, email) or how often, it’s fair for you to ask.
Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney
Personal injury settlement negotiations and lawsuits can be very stressful for the accident victim. This can be especially true when dealing with a serious injury that causes pain and stress on its own. The importance of choosing an attorney you can trust to work hard on your behalf so that you can focus on healing can’t be overstressed. Call Cohen & Cohen without hesitation when you need an auto accident lawyer College Park MD is proud to have in the community.
