A meeting with a car accident lawyer is one of the most important parts of the process of making a claim following an accident.

A meeting is your chance to brief your lawyer regarding your case, and the proper reading will help your lawyer assist you with your claim.

Your visit will also be the basis your lawyer will use to assess the chances of your claim. So before you go to a reading, make sure you come prepared.

Meeting With a Car Accident Lawyer: Describe the Accident Itself

Before anything else, you need to prepare all necessary paperwork. First, prepare the police report regarding the accident. The police report will be the best source of the description of the accident.

It will also determine the witnesses, the different views regarding the accidents, and all the involved details and specifications such as involvement of alcohol and so on.

Next, if you have any photos of the accident and the scene of the accident, these will also be very helpful. Through the photos, your lawyer can examine the scene himself and determine the surrounding environment and other factors that may have affected the accident such as traffic and weather conditions.

Then you also have to provide your lawyer with all the information you were able to gather regarding the other party involved in the accident.

Preferably, information should include name, address, contact numbers, driver’s license number, vehicle type, year, and model, license plate number, and the other parties’ insurance company. If possible, names and contact numbers of witnesses will also benefit the investigation.

Damages and Costs
Aside from that, you should also provide specific details and information about the damages you suffered after the accident. This applies to car damages and to any physical injury. Photographs and billing details should be provided so your lawyer can determine the extent of damage and injury and help you make the right claims.

For car damages, take photos of the specific areas affected. For injuries, photographs showing progressive treatment will also help. Aside from the photographs and billing details, throw all medical records into the pile of documents you need to bring for your meeting with car accident lawyer.

Compensation For Losses
If you are employed and suffered lost wages because of the accident, you may also present documentation that will prove this situation. You may also include other losses that you want to have compensated. Your car accident lawyer will take all these into consideration when making your claim.

Finally, bring your car insurance policy papers with you. Your lawyer will check your insurance coverage to determine how much of the damages are covered based on whether the driver at fault is insured or not.

Do’s: Come prepared to your meeting with a car accident lawyer.

Don’ts: Do not leave it all up to your lawyer. Help him out by giving him all the necessary information.

The Verdict

Car accident lawyers are very helpful for a lot of people since car accidents are also quite common. However, accident lawyers cannot provide much assistance without help from the accident victims themselves.

So if you want your lawyer to be able to defend and assist you the best possible way, make sure you also pull your own weight and help him out.

Dog Attacks Can Be Extremely Frightening

Dog attacks can be an extremely frightening and painful experience, especially when you are on the receiving end of the aggressive actions.

Your finances may take quite a hit due to treatment expenses like medication, physiotherapy, cosmetic surgery, and in some cases psychological therapy. Furthermore, your injuries may make you unable to work for an extended period of time as you recover.

Although the owner of the dog is legally obligated to provide financial compensation for your injuries, it is exceedingly rare for the responsible party to step forward without a court order. Luckily, you can secure legal representation from an expert personal injury lawyer to successfully present the case to the court and receive fair compensation for acute and chronic injuries caused by the dog attack.

Common Dog Bite Injuries & Complications

Physical

Dogs have sharp teeth and strong jaws that quickly tear the flesh in irregular patterns. As a result, dog bites often require skin grafts and odd stitching patterns, which may drastically extend your healing time and pain during recovery. Furthermore, large dogs can even snap your tendons, ligaments and bones with their powerful jaws.

Despite common belief, dogs carry loads of bacteria in their mouths that often lead to infection and potentially sceptic shock, after their teeth break your skin. Dog bites often sever nerves in the injured area, causing symptoms that may even last for life. Lacerations to sensory or internal organs can cause serious lasting damage or even death.

After a severe attack, you may have spent a long time in the hospital or rehab centre in hopes of recovering without lifelong disabilities. Even if you did recover completely, the scars may result in permanent disfigurement that affects your quality of life.

Mental

It is completely natural to feel anxious or fearful after being attacked by a dog. After all, canine attacks frequently come out of nowhere and with seemingly little warning. As with many attacks, the dog may have suddenly leaped out from behind a fence or lunged at you while walking by on the side walk. As a result, some victims develop a strong fear of dogs that can be hard to overcome.

The high stress nature of an attack may also cause post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, symptoms to develop. If you develop PTSD, you may suffer from distressing nightmares, situational avoidance and a high startle response. The risk of developing chronic depression or anxiety related to the attack, injuries or scars is also quite high.

Financial Repercussions

Mental and physical injuries caused by dog bites often result in the need for extensive medical care. The cost of cosmetic surgical care, rehab centre stays, mental health treatment and physical therapy can quickly add up to a staggering amount. Furthermore, your bills likely piled up as you spent time off work recovering.

Even more upsetting, you may have developed disabilities that prevent you from going back to work and completing your normal job duties. After a dog attack, you may feel like the financial problems will never end.

Pursuing Your Case & Getting Compensation

Thankfully, you can seek help from a dog bite lawyer to obtain compensation to cover all of the medical bills and lost wages. Furthermore, you have the right to seek compensation for pain and suffering. To start the case, your lawyer will gather information about the attack at a free consultation meeting at the hospital, rehab centre, our offices or your home.

Your lawyer may need to utilize medical reports, witness statements and prior incident records to fully recreate the events leading up to the attack for the courts. All of the information you provide is used to build a solid case against the dog owners to prove fault and assign responsibility for the financial repercussions.

Don’t Delay

Since statutes of limitations apply to personal injury cases, like dog attacks, it is important that you contact a law firm soon after the incident occurs. Your lawyer will help you deal with the court proceedings without affecting your recovery. You can lean on us for emotional support before, during and after each step in the case creation and presentation process.

Your physical and mental health are always put first to continually facilitate a full recovery from the attack. Upon completion of the case, compensation received through the court will cover your past and future medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering experienced from the attack and subsequent recovery.

For more information or to book a free consultation, simply give us a call directly or use the form on the right.

Finding Personal Injury Lawyers Texas Residents Can Trust

When it comes to locating reputable personal injury lawyers in Texas, residents should know the proper questions to ask. Most personal injury attorneys handle cases on a contingency basis, so it is worth taking the time to find an experienced law professional.

Question #1: What types of cases does the attorney usually accept?
Some attorneys maintain a general practice and work on a variety of cases, including personal injury, bankruptcy, worker’s compensation and immigration. Clients will receive the best advice if they choose an attorney who handles only personal injury lawsuits.

Question #2: How long has the attorney been practicing personal injury law?
Most attorneys, charge a contingency fee, which is a percentage of the damages awarded to the client. This means attorneys do not base their fees on experience and clients will pay the same amount, regardless of how long the attorney has been practicing. However, a more experienced lawyer may be able to negotiate a higher settlement, so the number of years in business is an important factor to consider.
Question #3: Will the attorney be willing to try the lawsuit in court, if necessary?
Some lawyers tend to settle every case out of court and if negotiations fail, they refer the case to another attorney to handle the trial in court. To receive the maximum compensation, the insurance company must believe the lawyer will go to court rather than agree to a lower settlement. So-called clearinghouse attorneys accept large numbers of cases so they can settle quickly or refer the client to another attorney if they cannot negotiate a satisfactory settlement. These attorneys collect a referral fee and are more interested in a quick turnover than fighting for the client’s right to fair compensation.

Question #4: What is the attorney’s track record for negotiating settlements or receiving positive verdicts in case trials?
The client will do better with an attorney who has a long list of successful outcomes. Insurance company representatives are familiar with the personal injury lawyers Texas residents hire and they know who has a good track record for defending personal injury cases and who is less likely to reach a positive verdict for a client. This information allows insurance companies to assess their risk. Most insurance adjusters will research the lawyer representing the plaintiff, so they can anticipate the likely outcome. If the lawyer has a great track record, the insurance company is less likely to want to take the case to court and will negotiate a fair settlement instead. More information