What Should I Expect From a San Antonio Car Accident Attorney Consultation?

If you’ve been in a car accident and someone else’s negligence has caused you injury and loss, you’re likely at least considering getting a San Antonio car accident attorney. It’s a good idea: statistics show that those who work with a personal injury attorney usually get significantly higher settlements than those who don’t. And your relationship with an attorney starts with a free consultation, so it’s always smart to take advantage of that. But what’s the consultation like?

What Will My Consultation With a San Antonio Car Accident Attorney Be Like?

What’s It All About?

This initial consultation is your chance to get acquainted, for you to ask questions, and for your attorney to assess the merits of your case. You should thus expect the attorney to ask you detailed questions about the accident, your injuries, and the impact they’ve had on your life.

Your lawyer’s first job is to simply evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your case to discover if you have a good hope of bringing a successful claim. If you have any evidence already, like the police report, your medical records, any witness statements, and photographs or video evidence, be sure to bring it along. And expect an honest attorney to give you an honest assessment. If you don’t have a good case, they’ll tell you so.

Remember, also, that this consultation is not just for the attorney to evaluate you. It’s also for you to evaluate them. You should feel free to ask questions and even come prepared with a list of things you want to ask. You want to fully understand the lawyer’s experience, qualifications, and approach to these types of cars wreck cases. You’ll also want to judge their communication style to see if they’ll be a good fit for you.

Preparing

Before your consultation, get together all the information and documents you have. This will make it easy for the attorney to evaluate your case, which will save time for you and will also allow the attorney to better evaluate the strength of your case and give you the best-informed answer possible. Here’s some of what you’ll want to bring if you possibly can:

Police Report

If a police report was filed, obtain a copy. You can get this from the San Antonio police department in person at the SAPD Headquarters at 315 South Santa Rosa from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. You can also request one online or by mail using the downloadable form.

Medical Records

Gather all medical records related to your injury. This should include records from any emergency transport, treatment at the hospital or urgent care center, doctor’s treatments, physical therapy records, etc.

Bills and Receipts

Keep track of all your bills: everything from the taxi ride home from the hospital to medical assistance devices you had to get, pharmacy receipts, and repair receipts for your vehicle should be included.

Witness Contacts

If anyone witnessed the accident and you were able to get their names and contact information, pass this on to your lawyer.

Proof of Lost Wages

Many car wrecks cause people to have to take time off work. If you’ve had to miss hourly wages, salaried time, bonus opportunities, or overtime that you would normally have taken advantage of (which you’ll have to prove with documentation), bring whatever you have that shows all this.

Think of things like pay stubs or bank account slips from before your accident, a record of the number of days you’ve missed work, and any correspondence you’ve had with your workplace. Your attorney will help you get the exact numbers, but this will help them get a rough idea.

Visual Evidence

If you were able to take any photographs or video at the accident scene, or if you’ve accessed dash cams or security video since be sure to bring this along. If not, talk with the attorney, who may be able to access some video evidence, like security footage from traffic cams or security cams, that you didn’t know were in the area.

Thinking Through Questions to Ask

This consultation gives you a chance to ask about your case and your lawyer. Brainstorm what you want to ask ahead of time, and here are a few ideas of questions to get you started:

• What is your fee structure?
• What is your experience handling cases like mine?
• What damages do you think I’ll be able to recover?
• What is the potential value of my case?
• Do you usually settle cases out of court? Do you have successful courtroom experience with these cases?
• How often will you communicate with me? Will you communicate with me or will it be someone else in your firm?
• If I want to move forward with you, what are the next steps?

Tips for Having a More Productive Meeting

1. Get there on time and prepared with your documents and your questions.
2. Dress professionally: it shows your own seriousness and respect for both the lawyer and yourself
3. Come with an open attitude, ready to share your story, and willing to talk openly and frankly.
4. Expect the same things from your attorney, and don’t waste your time with a lawyer who doesn’t show professionalism and respect in return.
5. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if anything is not clear.
6. Look for an attorney who answers questions willingly and explains legal jargon clearly, but beware of an attorney who talks down to you.
7. Beware of an attorney who makes promises they can’t keep. This process takes time and effort. Anyone who promises it will be easy and quick or who guarantees you a big settlement right away likely isn’t worth your time.

Discussing Next Steps

Toward the end of the consultation, ask your attorney to talk through the potential next steps with you. They might start by initiating an investigation and gathering further evidence, or, if things are very cut and dry, the next step might be filing a claim. This is also when you should ask about any expenses you’ll need to pay and find out precisely when you should be expecting updates on your case. Find out how they’ll update you, too: will it be by email, phone, or in-person office visit?

Remember that this initial consultation is not a binding commitment on your part or on the part of the lawyer. If they agree to take your case, you do have time to process the information, think through whether you’re ​comfortable with this attorney, and ​get back to them. Just be sure not to wait too long: ask ​the ​lawyer about the statute of ​limitations and how close you are to ​the time limit.

If you’ve ​been injured in an accident, ​you deserve ​good representation that will get you ​the compensation you need to get back on your feet. You also deserve to work with a lawyer you feel comfortable with and someone who has plenty of experience helping people with cases just like yours. At Marco Bass Injury and Accident Lawyers, we’ve been fighting for personal injury victims in San Antonio ​for years. We’re fierce fighters with roots in the community, and we’ll bring our determination and experience to the table for you.

Contact Marco Bass Injury and Accident Lawyers now for a free consultation on your case.