By: Andrew Ackley
DOCUMENTS TO BRING TO YOUR FREE PERSONAL INJURY CONSULTATION
There are no “requirements” for what you need to meet with a personal injury lawyer. Especially for the initial consultation, we try to make things as simple and easy as possible. And we typically order records for you.
However, there are documents that can help make the most out of your consultation, if you have them. These are:
MEDICAL DOCUMENTS:
If you get medical treatment, you are usually sent home with—or can access online—a Discharge Summary or Visit Summary. A medical summary is very useful to understand your specific injuries, so we can discuss your options.
ACCIDENT AND INCIDENT REPORTS:
If you get in a car accident and any law enforcement arrive, usually they create a Police Traffic Collision Report. The report summarizes how the car accident happened, identifies the drivers and their insurance companies, and names any witnesses. This helps us determine who caused the car accident.
If you are injured at work, often the employer and/or the Department of Labor & Industries (LNI) will document the worksite injury and how it occurred. This helps us determine who is responsible.
INSURANCE DOCUMENTS:
If you have received any letters or emails from any insurance company about your injuries, it is helpful for us to have those communications. In the average car accident case, there are at least three types of insurance involved.
YOUR AUTO INSURANCE:
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is health insurance from your auto insurance policy, usually limited to $10,000. If you have PIP coverage, a claim needs to be opened under that policy.
THE AT-FAULT DRIVER’S INSURANCE:
The other driver’s insurance company may contact you about the claim. Consult with a lawyer before responding at all.
YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE:
Your health insurance company may want to know if your injuries were caused by someone else if you have other insurance and if you plan to make a claim against the other driver.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
If you have photographs of the car accident or worksite injury scene, damage to vehicles or equipment, your injuries, or anything else that caused your injuries, these may be essential to your case.
If you have these documents, providing them to us will help make the most out of your consultation.
THE PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS AT THE STRITMATTER FIRM ARE HERE TO HELP
Contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at The Stritmatter Firm today at 206-448-1777 for more information and to set up a FREE consultation.