A serious accident can happen at any moment and have a major impact on your life. You are hit by a car as you are crossing the street or cycling by the side of the road. You suffer a collision with another vehicle as you drive to work. You slip on a wet floor. You get bitten by your neighbor’s dog. You are injured by a malfunctioning machine at the workplace. All these are examples of personal injury cases.
Since you know that you cannot handle filing and negotiating a claim on your own, you look for an experienced personal injury lawyer in Henderson. As you prepare for your first appointment, you wonder: what documents should I bring with me? This is a very good question, because the initial case evaluation is crucial for the attorney to decide whether you have a case and how much you may recover.
We want to help you find justice and obtain the maximum compensation you are entitled to collect, so here is a list of the records and documents you should bring to your first meeting with a Nevada personal injury attorney:
1. Medical Records
The medical records represent one of the most solid pieces of evidence for determining the value of your case. In our experience, medical costs represent the largest proportion of economic losses sustained by personal injury victims.
You should not leave anything out:
- The initial report issued by the first responders on the ambulance
- The admission to hospital record
- X-rays
- Prescriptions
- Hospital discharge record with recommendations for further treatment.
At the same time, the medical records will help your lawyer prove that your injuries were directly caused by the respective incident. For this reason, even if you do not believe that you are seriously injured, you should call 9-1-1 and ask for an ambulance or go to the nearest ER to receive immediate medical attention.
If you wait for several days, until your symptoms worsen, it may be difficult to prove that your injuries were caused by the negligent person who caused the accident.
2. Receipts for Expenses Related to the Accident
You should be careful about collecting and keeping all the receipts for all sorts of expenses directly or indirectly related to the accident. Here are some examples:
- Ambulance ride costs
- Cost to have your damaged car towed
- Cost to hire a replacement car
- Car repair shop estimate to fix your car
- Costs with prescription pills
- Receipts from emergency room, hospital, physical therapists.
When the Nevada personal injury attorney reaches the point of preparing your letter of demand, they have to attach copies of these documents to justify the amount.
3. Pay Stubs to Demonstrate Missing Paychecks
Most personal injury victims have to miss work for at least several days while they are treated for their injuries. If your injuries are severe, you may have to miss weeks or months from work. This means that you won’t be paid and this is yet another type of economic damage you can include in your personal injury claim.
In order to prove that you suffered these losses, you should bring the pay stubs to the first meeting with your personal injury lawyer, demonstrating that you collected reduced or no wages after the accident.
4. Accident Report Prepared at the Scene by Henderson Police
In most of the cases, a personal injury accident requires a police investigation. This is a legal obligation in case of car accidents and construction site accidents where a passer-by was hurt.
This report will contain important information that will help your lawyer determine who is liable for your injuries. If your case reaches the court phase (you file a personal injury lawsuit), the police report will be a valuable piece of evidence.
5. Photos and Videos Taken at the Accident Scene
In some cases, the police will not be involved in the investigation of your accident (for example, a slip and fall in a supermarket). However, irrespective of the existence of a police report, you should take steps to document what happened on your own.
Your mobile phone is the perfect device to do so. You can take photos of videos of:
- Your injuries
- The dangerous condition that caused the accident (wet floor)
- The property damage you sustained (damages to your car, expensive wristwatch, etc.)
- Any relevant element that may have influenced the occurrence of the accident (pothole, debris on the road).
In order to make these pieces of evidence even more accurate and relevant, you should set your phone to insert the timestamp on the photos. You can easily find this option among the settings of your phone camera app.
6. Eyewitnesses Contact Details and Reports
In most of the cases, other people are present at the place where your accident happened. They are valuable as eyewitnesses for your personal injury case. You should talk to them immediately after the accident and ask them to give you their name and contact information. Later on, you can reach out to them and ask them to give a report of what they have seen.
Even if you do not have these reports, you should at least bring the list of eyewitnesses and their information to the first meeting with your personal injury lawyer in Henderson.
7. Your Own Description of the Event
Although you will describe how you were injured when you talk to the lawyer, you should also prepare a written statement. When you start writing something, your mind will focus more and you may remember aspects which may not be apparent when you are talking.
This report will be your personal testimony and the lawyer will rely on it during the negotiations with the insurance company.
An Experienced Nevada Personal Injury Law Firm Will Help You Win Your Case
You should not feel intimidated when you talk to a personal injury lawyer in Henderson. We are here to assist you and help you find justice. We will help you understand how various circumstances may influence your case, and give you a fair estimate of the total compensatory damages you may expect to receive.
Schedule a free case review with us and let us help you win the maximum settlement you deserve: 702-410-6329!
