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A personal injury case can cover a multitude of situations from a slip and fall incident, to a dog bite, to a misappropriated or recalled drug, to botched surgery, car accidents, playground injuries and much, much more. If you have been involved in a personal injury case, you know how complicated the situation can be from the very start. Who is to blame? Were precautions taken? Were the conditions faulty? What was the extent of the injury? Did someone die? Was someone severely disfigured or brain damaged? All these questions and many more will surface when you have a personal injury lawsuit at hand. This leads to difficulty determining what to bring with you when meeting your attorney for the first time. Here’s a tip sheet that will help you prepare.
Personal injury cases are overwhelming, and you may have many thoughts running through your head at the time of the accident, and for several days or months following the incident. When you set your appointment and meet with your attorney for the first time, it’s best to have these in place:
- Any personal written recollections of the accident–before, during and after. While you may not be ready to document the situation, doing so as soon after the incident as possible will best help you and your attorney find any loopholes or missing information. If the accident happened to someone else, be sure to write what you know. If the accident happened to you and you don’t remember, be sure to have someone help you document.
- Take any photographs of the accident and injury. If a vehicle was involved, show a picture of the vehicle before (if you have one) and after. Be detailed in the photographs of the injury.
- Copies of medical records, admission papers and discharge papers.
- Testimony of any doctors, nurses, or emergency medical technicians who responded to the scene.
- Copies of x-rays, test results and medical procedures.
Any personal injury case involves an extensive amount of investigation to find the underlying cause of the accident, and how you can best be compensated. This might mean a re-enactment of the accident, a visit to the accident site, and interviews with doctors. Patience and preparation are key in resolving a personal injury case to your advantage. While we hope it never happens to you, it’s best to have everything on hand so your attorney can settle quickly and effectively.
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Finz & Finz, P.C. is a New York and Long Island personal injury law firm based out of Mineola, NY. It was founded in 1984 and is highly rated, with many honors and awards of excellence.
