If you were injured in a car accident, you might be looking for a Houston auto accident attorney to handle your case. An attorney is there to walk you through different legal options, file documents, and negotiate on your behalf to get you the best settlement possible. Often, the first step to hiring an attorney is to schedule a free consultation. These consultations are an important part of the process and can have a huge impact on who you hire. Therefore, it’s important to come prepared so you can make the most of this time with your potential attorney. Read on for our guide for consultations with your Houston auto accident attorney.
If you need legal help for your case, contact our team now to schedule your free case evaluation.
What is a Consultation? Why Set Up a Consultation with a Houston Auto Accident Attorney?
First and foremost, what is a personal injury consultation? This is an initial appointment where you and a Houston auto accident attorney get to know each other and discuss some details about your case. These appointments are typically low-cost or even free. During these consultations, you can learn more about your case from an experienced lawyer. It’s also a great way to essentially interview lawyers you’re considering for your case. Therefore, if you were a victim of a car accident, consider setting up at least a few consultations with car accident attorneys to get free legal advice and find a lawyer for your case.
Preparing for a Consultation with a Houston Auto Accident Attorney
While you can go into a consultation without any pre-appointment preparation, you might not be able to really make the most of each valuable second. Instead, there are several small things you can do to come into the meeting fully ready to really take advantage of the time you have. Some things to plan for include explaining the details of your case, providing any evidence you have, answering important questions from the lawyer, and asking the Houston auto accident attorney questions of your own to see if they are a good fit for your case.
Explain What Happened in Detail to the Houston Car Accident Lawyer
During a consultation with a Houston car accident lawyer, one of the first things you’ll want to do is describe what happened during the accident in your own words. You want to be detailed here and not leave anything out, because it will affect the rest of the consultation as well as your case moving forward if you decide to hire the attorney. If you need to, bring some notes or even a written statement you made shortly after the accident to make sure you hit all the high points.
Bring Any Evidence You Have (But Don’t Delay the Consultation to Gather More Evidence)
Another thing to do for your car accident legal consultation is to bring in all the evidence and supporting documents you have for your case. The lawyer may want to browse through them to get a sense of the case and the evidence you have so far. So, if you have pictures, police reports, communications with the insurance company, and medical records, bring them in for the Houston auto accident attorney to peruse. Just keep in mind that because it’s an initial consultation, they may just give the documents a quick glance and focus more on talking to you. Also, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t delay scheduling consultations if you’re waiting for evidence like police reports. If you hire a lawyer, they can help you get more evidence to build your case and the consultation is a really important step if you were injured in a car accident.
Be Prepared to Answer the Houston Auto Accident Attorney’s Questions Truthfully
During the consultation, the attorney may have several questions for you to help them gauge information and details about your case. For instance, they may ask about how your injuries have affected your life in different ways, like if it’s hindered your career or your relationship with your spouse or children. They might also ask whether you shared any fault for the accident to determine what kinds of problems they may face when fighting your case or to better understand a fair valuation for your accident. Be prepared to answer some questions and answer them truthfully, as this can be important for your case.
Come with Questions of Your Own for the Houston Accident Attorney
However, the auto accident attorney probably shouldn’t be the only one asking the questions. Remember, this consultation is time for you to get information about your legal options and also decide whether to hire that lawyer for your case. So, bring a list of questions to ask them, too.
Here are some questions you might want to ask during your legal consultation:
- How long have you been in practice?
- How many cases like mine have you worked on before?
- What problems do you foresee with my case? How would you handle them?
- How long do you think it will take to close my case?
- What do you think the value of my case is?
- How will I get in touch with you about my case?
- How will you keep me updated about my case?
- What are the fees for your services?
Important Things to Note About Consultations with Houston Auto Accident Attorneys
Now you know a little bit about how to prepare for your consultation, let’s talk about the purpose of the consultation from an attorney’s perspective and from a car accident victim’s perspective, as well as whether you can expect confidentiality for the consultation.
Why a Consultation is Important for the Houston Auto Accident Attorney
During a consultation with a Houston auto accident attorney, they are trying to get details about your case. This is a way for them to get to know more about the type of case it is and what kinds of evidence they have to work with. It’s basically a way for them to consider whether you have a valid case that they would take on. Many reputable attorneys won’t take on a case if there are major issues with it, like the client lying about injuries to get compensation. So, it’s basically a screening process to know what they would be doing if you hire them for your case.
Why a Consultation is Important for the Car Accident Victim
At the same time, the consultation is also an important process for you. It’s basically a way to interview potential Houston accident attorneys so you can hire the right one for your case. You get to know more about the lawyer, their style, as well as their opinions about the case. It’s a way to get to know your options but also make sure you choose an attorney that you like, can work well with, and that you trust to handle your case.
Consultations are Confidential, Even if You Don’t Hire the Attorney
Another important thing to know is that consultations are confidential. So, you don’t need to worry about information you say during the consultation hurting your case later. This is true even if you don’t hire that attorney (or any attorney). Since you were a potential client, the things you say about your car accident case are completely confidential between you and the lawyer.
Get a Free Case Evaluation from Maida Law Firm – a Top Houston Car Accident Lawyer
If you were in a car accident, get in touch with our team at Maida Law Firm. We offer legal representation for car accident victims and their families and work hard to get you the compensation you need to recover. Our team of experienced lawyers is here to fight for your case. You don’t pay us until we win your case, so you don’t need to worry about losing money without winning your case or trying to come up with up front cash for our services. We’re here to help you at every step of the way. Contact us now to schedule your free case evaluation with our top lawyers.