What Happens at Your Initial Biloxi Car Crash Consultation?

When looking to build a thorough and effective car accident case, it helps to come prepared to your first meeting with a knowledgeable car accident lawyer regarding your potential lawsuit. Knowing what will happen at your initial Biloxi car crash consultation beforehand can be crucial to making your case as straightforward and successful as possible.

What to Bring to the Consultation

When an individual meets with their car accident lawyer for the first time, he or she needs to bring several things. First and foremost, one should have a copy of the accident report, although if you are unable to obtain the accident report, your lawyer should be able to obtain it after the fact. If possible, it is usually a good idea to speak with the responding officer at the scene of an accident about where their report will be available, either online or elsewhere.

It is also helpful to bring a copy of the injured person’s health insurance card, as well as all automobile policies and declarations pages insuring the vehicles in your own household. If a minor involved in an accident has divorced or separated parents with joint custody, it is important to get both parents’ automobile policies. If another relative (such as a grandparent) shares in the custody of the child, or if the child regularly stays with them, it is important to bring those individuals’ policies, because they demonstrate the extent of potentially available uninsured motorist coverage that may be available for significant insurance damages beyond what the liable party’s insurance may cover.

It is a good idea for the injured party to bring a copy of their driver’s license and have a list of the names and addresses of any doctors they saw during the previous five years for conditions that may be similar to the injuries they suffered in the accident. In addition, bring contact information for any doctors seen as a result of the accident or who the injured person plans to see as a result of the accident, as well as contact information any pharmacy where accident related prescriptions are filled, and a list of any prescription drugs the injured person was taking at the time of the accident.

Finally, bring photographs of the vehicles involved in the accident if available, especially any from the scene of the accident or, barring that, after the vehicles were towed to a repair shop or accident yard. Pictures of the injured person’s vehicle prior to the accident that show its condition beforehand may help with a property damage claim. If someone does not have all those things, their accident attorney could help them gather the necessary information.

Initial Steps the Attorney Should Take

The first thing an attorney does when they are retained by someone who was injured in a Biloxi car accident is put the at-fault driver’s insurance company on notice that they are representing the injured party’s interests. That takes the burden of dealing with the insurance company off of the injured person, so they can concentrate on getting the healthcare they need.

Next, the lawyer works to gather medical records and bills in a fashion that makes them admissible at trial, should the case be litigated. They would typically advise the party they represent to keep receipts for all incidental damages caused by the accident, including over-the-counter medications and other out-of-pocket medical expenses, because those types of damages can add up to quite a lot.

Finally, the attorney could advise a person on how to keep a daily journal to document the manner in which the accident caused them to suffer changes in their everyday life, including such things as emotional injuries, anxiety, lack of sleep, inability to do housework or enjoy the same leisure activities as before, and psychological damage. Documenting those recoverable damages contemporaneously can help to maximize recovery when the time comes get into settling a car accident case or taking a case to trial and get a judgment for the full measure of damages caused by the other driver’s negligence.

Get Started on Your Car Accident Case with an Initial Meeting with an Attorney

The best first step to recovering compensation after an auto wreck someone else caused is to get in touch with a qualified lawyer and schedule an initial consultation in Biloxi. Knowing what happens at such a consultation and being ready to participate productively in yours could dramatically help your chances of obtaining the financial recovery you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation to get started on your path to full and fair compensation for your injuries and damages.