If you have been injured and are wondering if you are eligible to collect compensation, you may not know where to turn to get the process rolling. You can certainly try to brush up on injury law and try to earn a compensation award on your own, but this process is much easier and typically yields much bigger paydays if you hire a lawyer to assist with the process. Before you settle on representation, odds are you’ll meet with the lawyer for a free consultation. Since you’re probably not very familiar with what happens during these consultations, we wanted to share some things you’ll want to know so that you can get the most out of this meeting.
What To Know About Your Free Injury Consultation
Free consultations with injury firms will vary a bit, but there are still some common themes throughout all of them. Here’s a look at five things that it’s helpful to understand prior to arriving for your consultation.
1. Prepare Your Story – Your lawyer is going to want to learn about the basics of your case, so come prepared to tell your story. Review the incident in your head and even consider writing out your version of events so that it’s easier for your lawyer to reference while working to build your case if you choose to hire them on as representation. Prepare to share details about what happened before, during and after your accident.
3. Bring Evidence – If you have any evidence or documentation related to your case, bring it to this consultation. Medical records, witness contact information or police statements can all help streamline the process of building your case and make it easier for your lawyer to understand the full story. Bring all relevant documents with you to this initial consultation.
3. Come With Questions – These consultations work best when the conversation is back and forth, so come with some questions. Your lawyer will be more than happy to provide some clarification or paint a picture of what you can expect if you choose their firm to represent you throughout the process. They may not be able to go into specifics about certain aspects, like how long will the case take or what type of settlement payout you can expect, but they’ll do their best to answer any and all questions during this first consultation.
4. Fee Schedule – Another important aspect that will be covered during this first consultation is the attorney’s fee schedule. This helps the client understand how their lawyer would get paid for their services. In injury law, it’s not uncommon for firms to work on a contingent basis, meaning they only get paid a set percentage of any award they earn for their clients. This ensures you won’t be on the hook for a major bill in the event that you don’t win your case. With a contingent fee schedule, you only owe when you win your case, and your lawyer has a vested interest in getting you the biggest payday possible, because that increases their take-home amount. They’ll cover a potential fee schedule during this first consultation.
5. Only Sign A Contract If It Feels Right – Remember, you are hiring the lawyer, not the other way around, so if it just doesn’t feel like a good fit, don’t sign a contract. You can always reconnect with the firm if you do decide to move forward with their services, but you want to have faith and trust in the firm you choose to represent you. If it just doesn’t feel like a good match, don’t feel like you need to sign on after that first consultation. It’s also worth noting that although you are hiring the firm, it’s possible that they will decide they aren’t a good fit for your case. They may not have much experience with a specific type of injury, or they may not see a path to an award, and since many only get paid when they win, it isn’t worth it to pursue an unwinnable case. If it feels right for both sides, it may be time to sign a contract.
We offer free consultations for all our prospective clients, and we want you to set one up so that we can show you the value we’ll bring to your case. To set up one of those consultations, or for help with a different injury issue, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
