Fort Worth Injury Attorney Blog
When an individual is in an accident, the person may feel conflicted about how to proceed with a personal injury case if they believe they were not at fault. Depending on the severity of the accident, it is recommended to seek legal counsel. The thought of filing a lawsuit can be stressful or intimidating for a person, but it is essential to consult with an attorney to learn the value of your case. One may wonder what is discussed in a consultation and how the attorney determines the case’s value.
As I will discuss what is covered during a consultation, please note that not all law firms follow the same procedure when prospective clients come to their office for a consultation.
Generally, when a person calls a law office the individual may speak with a paralegal or a legal assistant first so that they can screen the call. The paralegal will ask the client some basic personal background information. They may ask questions such as, where do you work? What do you do? Where do you live? How long have you lived here? Where did the accident happen? These may seem like pointless questions to one, but to the attorney the answers to these questions helps them evaluate your case. Regarding the occupation questions, the attorney is analyzing, if necessary, whether the person was driving a company car or if the person was driving while they were working. It will help the attorney determine who the parties may be in this lawsuit. As for the residency questions, those answers will help the attorney decide where the case can be filed. There will be more personal background information questions to answer, but the questions above are most common.
Along with background information, the paralegal will ask what happened on the day of the accident? They want to know details of the accident, such as the location of the scene, which direction were the drivers going, were there any stop lights or stop signs, were there any witnesses, did an ambulance arrive at the scene, and how many individuals were injured. The answers to these questions are pertinent to the attorney’s evaluation. As you are having this conversation with the attorney, the lawyer may ask you if you have any helpful documents such as, a police report, photographs of the scene and damage to the car, a copy of your driver’s license, or medical bills on hand.
As the consultation comes to an end, the paralegal will convey the information to the attorney. The attorney may then take the call to ask questions they want answers to. Then, the attorney will let you know if your case is valuable enough for them to take the case.
Eric Reyes is an experienced attorney in this area of practice. As a Board Certified attorney in Civil Law and Personal Injury Trial Law and with 30+ years of experience, he is aware of the many arguments opposing counsel can argue against a motorcycle rider. He and his litigation team are well-equipped to handle a difficult motorcycle accident lawsuit. If you or a loved one experienced this type of accident, please give our office a call at (817) 332-1522.