What to Bring When Meeting With a Personal Injury Lawyer in NJ?

Every year, thousands of New Jersey residents suffer injuries, from car accidents to incidents at construction sites. Between doctor visits and lost work days, there’s already a lot going through your mind. Hiring an attorney to receive proper compensation just seems like more on top of everything else. 

You may not even know what to bring to your first meeting with an experienced personal injury attorney from New Jersey, especially if it’s your first time dealing with something like this. Fortunately, we’re here to break down the basics of what you should present to your attorney to get your case started on the right foot. 

How Can I Prepare Myself Before Meeting With Personal Injury Lawyers in NJ?

First and foremost, you should be ready to go over the accident in detail with a prospective personal injury attorney. This includes all pertinent medical information, including all recent doctor visits. 

The accident may still be fresh in your mind and traumatic, so if you need to bring a loved one to the meeting for emotional support, that’s perfectly fine. 

You also need to present any relevant evidence to your case that would behoove the personal injury lawyer to have. This includes but isn’t limited to:

• Copy of the police report
• Photos or videos documenting the accident
• Bills and medical records related to the accident
• Doctors’ notes, including anything related to future treatment plans
• Contact information for any witnesses who saw the incident
• Documentation from any involved insurance agencies
• Debris related to the accident, including damaged personal property
• Anything else related to your case

Which Types of Questions Should a Personal Injury Attorney Ask?

Naturally, a lawyer considering taking your case will want as much information as possible. As far as typical questions personal injury lawyers ask, these are fairly standard. 

• What happened? When and where did it occur, and how did you contribute to it? It’s prudent to be completely truthful when detailing the accident. Lying or overlooking any details could negatively impact your case later, and even if you contributed to the accident in some manner, it’s best to be upfront with all those facts. 
• Did you get information from all parties involved, including the police? Your attorney will need to know the details concerning any witnesses. As mentioned previously, you should bring a police report with you to the meeting, and if you have the name and contact information for the officer who was on the scene, that’d be a huge help.
• What specific injuries are you dealing with now, and how do you feel? This is the time to provide the doctor’s prognosis, including plans for any future treatments. An attorney will likely ask you how you feel, and while you may be tempted to simply say, “Fine,” it’s best to be detailed. If you’re in pain, say that.
• Are you able to go back to work? Have you missed any wages? It’s also paramount for the lawyer to know your work situation, particularly if the accident occurred at your place of employment. Losing wages impacts the type of compensation you should go after.

What Questions Should You Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Additionally, you may have questions of your own you’ll want to ask. It’s a good idea to write everything you want to know ahead of time and bring it with you so you don’t forget anything. 

The lawyer will be as detailed as possible questioning you, and you have every right to do the same, so here are some basic questions to consider.

• Have you handled cases like mine before? It’s good to have experience by your side, so whether you’re dealing with a car accident or a slip and fall, you want an attorney who has already dealt with the ins and outs of such cases before.
• Will you personally handle the case from start to finish? Many attorneys begin a case and then pass it off to someone else partway through, which can be stressful. You want a lawyer who will be by your side until the case is resolved.
• How often will I receive updates? Every attorney works differently. Some reach out weekly just to keep you in the loop while others only contact you if there’s some kind of development. Ultimately, you just want to know the lawyer isn’t going to put this case on the back burner and will work to get it resolved as quickly as they can.

Ready to Meet with a Personal Injury Lawyer in New Jersey?

An injury, even a minor one, can be scary and upend your life. You need all the support you can get, so call 856-284-6446 or use this form to get in touch with one of the experienced New Jersey personal injury attorneys at Rosengard Law Group today. 

After one meeting with us, we believe you’ll see why we’re the right choice for your case. The first consultation is free, so there’s nothing to lose. Reach out when you’re ready.