Tab Mitchell Automobile Accidents Law Blog on Lawyers.com

What to Bring When you Meet your Accident Attorney

Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Tab Mitchell

If you have had a car accident in San Jose, a lot happens from the time of impact to when you return to your home. You may have had to deal with insurance, the police and unfortunately in a lot of cases, the hospital or a doctor’s office. During the aftermath, if you are considering meeting with an accident attorney, make sure you are prepared to ask questions, and bring your notes.

Questions to Ask your Attorney

If you are meeting with an attorney the first time it is important that you interview them to make sure you have a good match. By asking some of these questions you can assess if the lawyer is right for you:

Do you specialize in accident law?
Are you an active trial lawyer?
How long have you been in practice and what experience do you have in similar cases like mine?
Given the information, what is the range of compensation do you think I’m entitled to?
What other information do you need to make your assessment?

Useful Information to Bring

The more information you bring about your accident, the better the assessment an attorney can give you for your case. Make sure when you go bring as many of the following items as possible:

Police Report - Usually a police report is available within several days of the accident, to obtain one make sure you contact the local police department. Some police departments give you the flexibility to order a report online, in person or by mail.
Photographs - Taking photographs of the scene is helpful evidence.
Eyewitness accounts - If you were at the scene and were able to get eyewitness accounts this can be to your advantage.
Names and Contact Information of other driver and witnesses - If you haven’t obtained an eyewitness account, an attorney can help by contacting the witness for you.
Diagram of accident - Usually included in the police report, but it’s helpful if you have one.
Details of the conditions of your accident - Weather, lighting, fog, condition of road.
Medical reports and bills.
Other party’s insurance.

This article was provided to you courtesy of The Mitchell Law Firm, San Jose accident attorneys.

Posted at 16:13 PM

Topic: Automobile Accidents