The contingency fee system was signed into law to allow people who cannot afford to pay lawyers access to the legal system to claim their rights. Queens Personal injury lawyers are not paid for their services unless and until an agreement is accepted or a sentence is handed down. This means that they must be very selective in relation to the cases in which they face, accepting only cases that they consider to be overdue.
ACCIDENT SCENE PHOTOS
Taking pictures of the scene will help a lawyer show how the accident happened and the damage to vehicles at the scene. This demonstrative evidence will strengthen your case and increase the likelihood that a lawyer will accept it.
GET THE POLICE REPORT
Bringing a police report to your appointment with a personal injury lawyer is a great advantage, especially if it shows that the accident was not your fault. For smaller cases, lawyers will not want to take the case unless it is clear how the accident happened. It is better that you know what they say before going to your appointment, so that you can explain to your lawyer why any code that is not in your favor can be there and explain what happened.
DRAW A DIAGRAM
No personal injury lawyer requires clients to refer to a diagram, but if the police report indicates that the accident was partly or entirely their fault, it will be helpful to have a diagram that explains why the police report is incorrect. If there is no police report, it can be even more useful.
INSURANCE INFORMATION
It is helpful to take your entire insurance policy with you for a consultation with a personal injury attorney. Your policy will tell you if you have insufficient insurance coverage or other provisions that may be useful for you.
BRING AN INTERPRETATOR (IF NECESSARY)
If your English language skills are not 100% and you want the lawyer to fully understand your possible case, try to bring a friend or family member with better English skills to the consultation. This will help prevent misunderstandings in both directions, as your interpreter can also ensure that you clearly understand what the lawyer is saying. You can also ask the lawyer if they have someone available who is fluent in their native language.
DECLARATION OF WITNESSES
If there are witnesses to your accident, it is very important to obtain your full name and telephone number. You can also try to obtain a witness statement on the spot by taping it on the phone.
EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
If you are unable to work, it is useful to bring all available information about your job. If you were supposed to start a job but were unable to as a result of the accident, this is also useful. If you are self-employed, you must bring tax returns for the previous three years if you are claiming a waste of time at work.
BE REALISTIC
You can have a good enough case, but a lawyer can refuse if you think your expectations are unrealistic. You can certainly ask how much he thinks your case is worth and how long it will take, but understand that he can only give you an approximate answer. If he thinks that you are constantly pressing him to move your case faster than is really possible or that you hope to collect much more than your case might be worth, he may decide that your case is not worth taking.