When you contact a construction accident lawyer for a consultation, they will give you a form to fill out asking for basic information about your case. They may also ask you to bring certain documents. What is this information for?
Your lawyer will want to know your story so they can assess your case and its chances of success. Here’s a rundown of the information you’ll need to provide to an Indianapolis construction accident lawyer when you come for a consultation.
Your Questions
A consultation isn’t just a way for a lawyer to find out if you have a case. It’s also a way to get your legal questions answered before you sign a contract. A lawyer may give you a lot of information during your consultation, and you could forget what you wanted to ask.
Write down your questions in advance and bring them with you so you can ask them during the consultation. Some common questions to ask any construction accident lawyer include:
- How likely do you see success in my case?
- Who could be held liable?
- What should my next steps be?
- Do you foresee any potential challenges with my case?
- What are your fees, and when do you collect them?
- Will my case need to go to trial?
- Do you have trial experience?
- What is your experience in construction accident law?
- What’s your general strategy toward construction accident cases?
- How should we communicate updates about changes and progress in my case?
- What timeframe do you estimate it will take to finish my claim?
We give construction accident consultations freely and without obligation. If you’re not comfortable with our answers or our construction accident lawyers, you can go to another one and get another opinion.
It’s harder to switch once you’ve signed a contract, so make sure you get what you need from the consultation first.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
All Correspondence You’ve Received from the Opposition
Your employer or their insurer may have reached out to you before you’ve spoken with you or sent you documents before you’ve talked with a lawyer. We’ll need that information to evaluate your case.
Correspondence includes any letters, emails, chat messages, or voicemails you’ve received from your employer or their insurer. If you had a voice conversation with them, write down what you spoke about as soon as possible after the conversation and note the date and time.
It’s best to minimize conversation with them until you have hired a lawyer. However, you must report your accident to your employer as soon as possible to start the workers’ compensation process. Beyond that, keep conversations short so you avoid saying something that could be used against you.
Evidence of the Accident
Proving that you were in an accident is an important part of your compensation claim. If you have any of the following, provide this information to your construction accident lawyer:
- Photographs of your injuries
- Photographs of what caused your injury
- Any accident report created by your foreperson or employer
- Diagnostic images and medical records
- Eyewitness contact information and any statements they’ve made
Evidence of Your Costs
You’ll also need to prove how much your case has cost you so far. This evidence is the foundation for economic damages. Your lawyer could find more than you know you could claim, but you can help them by bringing:
- All receipts related to your medical care, including prescription costs, transportation to doctors, health insurance correspondence, and similar items
- Your pay stubs to calculate lost wages
- Retirement or pension statements
A Journal of Your Experiences
It’s good practice to keep a personal pain journal of how your accident changed your life. This is good proof for showing non-economic damages like pain and suffering. If your case qualifies for a lawsuit, these could provide the bulk of your compensation.
Start with recording what happened the day you were injured and how you were hurt. Then, as you go through recovery, write down everything in your life that your accident has affected, like:
- Pain levels
- If you need to rely on outside help for basic tasks
- Your ability to work
- Your ability to pursue hobbies and other enjoyments of life
- Your relationships with family, spouse, and friends
Workers’ compensation does not cover pain and suffering damages, but if your case qualifies for a lawsuit, then your lawyer will find your journal invaluable.
Must I Have All of This Information Before Calling a Construction Accident Lawyer?
Absolutely not. You may have been taken to the hospital immediately and woke up to a call from your employer demanding you talk with their insurer. In such a case, you need a lawyer’s advice now, not later.
Not having some of this information will make it harder for them to determine the strength of your case. They may have to do more legwork to track it down. However, you can go to a lawyer with nothing but your story. They’ll track down the proof they need to show the insurers or the court that your claim is legitimate.
If you have some of this information, it will make your lawyer’s evaluation much more accurate and could also improve the speed and value of your case. Vaughan & Vaughan can help you get the evidence you need to pursue the compensation you deserve after a construction accident.
Contact Vaughan & Vaughan
Now you know what information to provide to a construction accident lawyer before your consultation. It’s vital to contact a construction accident lawyer as soon as you can after your accident, but a little prep work before your consultation can make it even better.
Call our offices to schedule your consultation, then spend some time getting what evidence you can before your appointment. Even if you only have a single document, it will help us with your case.
