According to Massachusetts motor vehicle accident statistics, over 70,000 car crashes were reported last year. And the actions of negligent drivers can cause harm to all road users, not just car owners. While these statistics make only a tiny fraction of the over 5 million accidents in the U.S. each year, knowing how to get your life back on track with the help of injury lawyers after an accident can never be a miss. If you’re planning to meet an injury lawyer in Natick, here are some vital preparations to consider.
Documents
Injury lawyers work just like accountants or consultants in any area of business. To help accident victims with any legal issue, they need all the information they can get. The more information you give your attorney, the more room the attorney has to go deeper and generate accurate results. Personal injury lawyers in Natick usually begin the entire process with a consultation. It can either be a contact form with a list of relevant questions or a meeting with a team of injury law experts.
In this meeting, lawyers demand essential documents that can give grounds to your case. There are several types of personal injury cases. Each type may come with its own required documents. If it’s a car accident, medical bills and records from the hospitals you have visited so far can help. Another area to look at is your insurance policy and other records from your insurance company. Work-related injury victims can also bring copies of their employer’s workers’ compensation policies and arrangements. All these documents and how soon you get them can determine how quickly your personal injury lawyer delivers the needful justice.
Generally, lawyers need much time to prepare for proceedings in courtrooms. Physical injury victims can file a claim anytime, depending on the urgency of the claim. But it needs to follow the established statute of limitations. If you’re in Worcester, Framingham, or anywhere in the greater Boston area, you have up to three years to file claims.
Accident Statement and Report
Motor vehicle accidents usually involve several communications with the police and other official authorities. Injury lawyers will need the information exchanged to ascertain the severity of your injury case. You can consult local authorities or officers on the scene for the official accident report. If that’s not available, a personal statement of the details leading to the injury can suffice. The details can include the date of the accident, time, and place it occurred. It should also include efforts made by the other party so far, and whether any attempts have already been made to provide reasonable care.
Pictures of damaged cars and certificates that prove you’re a property owner can be essential in understanding your case. They also give your case some level of authenticity. It’s essential to include the names of witnesses from the accident scene. It can be a pedestrian who saw everything or the first family member you called after the accident.
Questions
Legal clients usually get a free consultation for the first time before actual work begins. Over the years, it has become a given in the legal practice, even though some private practice consultants may have different arrangements. Enlisting an attorney with over a decade of experience can come with expensive amounts in legal fees. So, calling a meeting only when you remember something might not help your case.
It pays to gather all the questions you need to ask a lawyer before the first meeting. You can ask for their fees, procedures, duration, settlement options, and more. This practice doesn’t only save you money in expenses. Managing large amounts of information at a particular time is better than calling a lawyer to establish new facts after every meeting.