It’s hard to watch television these days without seeing a half dozen commercials for personal injury lawyers. Nine times out of ten, you’re going to change the channel. After all, why do you need to hire an attorney? However, if you’re involved in a serious car accident in South Carolina, you’re going to want to have an attorney by your side. The good news is that your Columbia car accident lawyer will be willing to meet with you and discuss your case absolutely free of charge.
While it’s great that you don’t have to pay for this initial meeting, you don’t want to waste your attorney’s time. Make sure you’re prepared for your consultation. You almost want to treat it like a job interview. In a way, it is. Yes, you’re deciding whether you want to hire the Columbia car accident lawyer that you meet with. But the lawyer is also deciding whether they want to handle your case as well. The better prepared you are, the more valuable your consultation is going to be.
The Initial Consultation Will Be Free
Almost all Columbia car accident lawyers will offer you a free initial consultation. There are several reasons for this. First, they understand that you may want to talk to a few attorneys before you decide which one you want to hire. Second, they want to review your case to make sure it has merit before they waste anybody’s time. Finally, they want to give you a chance to ask any questions you may have. You can’t really make an educated decision until you’ve done this.
It’s a Good Idea to Send Your Columbia Car Accident Lawyer Your Documentation Ahead of Time
Your consultation is only going to last about a half-hour. You’ll want to make the most of this time. Rather than spend 20 minutes of that half-hour fumbling with your paperwork, send it to your attorney ahead of time. This gives them a chance to read through it and get the gist of your case. They can also use this information to determine if you have a case or not. For example, once they review the police report, they can decide if the other driver was at fault. If they can read the copies of any letters you’ve received from the insurance company, they’ll know what the defendant’s position is. This can all be very helpful.
What you should do is ask for your Columbia car accident lawyer’s email address when you schedule your free consultation. This way, you can scan any information into your computer and email it to your attorney ahead of time. Or you can even take pictures of the documents, so they review them briefly in preparation for your meeting.
Write a List of Question You Want to Ask During the Free, Initial Consultation
One of the biggest mistakes accident victims do is to wait until they’re in their attorney’s office to think of questions. This is going to waste a lot of both your time and your attorney’s time. Rather than have this happen, jot down some questions you have ahead of time. Keep a notepad with you in the days leading up to your consultation. Write down any questions that come to mind during this period. Then you can bring this list to the consultation with you. This will ensure that you don’t leave your meeting with the Columbia car accident lawyer’s office without an answer to your critical questions.
Make Sure You’re Upfront and Honest
Another important thing to keep in mind for your meeting is that you need to be honest. Your Columbia car accident lawyer can only help you fi they know the whole story. You don’t want to keep anything from them. If you were partially at fault for the crash, tell them. If you have a bad driving record, let them know. They’re going to find out eventually. Don’t let them get blindsided by the other side halfway through your case.
Call and Schedule Your Free Consultation As soon as Possible After Your Crash
If you’re injured in a motor vehicle accident, it’s worth your time to talk to a Columbia car accident lawyer. You can call and schedule your free, initial consultation at any point after your crash. Just make sure you don’t wait too long. The statute of limitations in South Carolina only gives you three (3) years to file your car accident lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, your case will be dismissed. The consultation with your attorney is free so you don’t have anything to lose.