When you think about hiring a personal injury attorney for your personal injury claim, you probably want to find one who has experience with personal injury cases, who understands the law regarding personal injury claims, and who is a good fit with you. What you likely don’t think about when hiring an attorney like this is how you can be a good client for your personal injury attorney. What does it mean to be a good client? Attorneys have a few simple ways that can help you be prepared when you speak with us and can help you be a client who is easy to work with. For more information on your part in the attorney-client relationship, please read below.
Helping Your Attorney
When it comes to legal cases, many people think that hiring an attorney means they don’t play a part anymore. However, there are many things you can do to make the case go smoothly and to help your attorney.
- Go to Your Doctor’s Appointments. Especially when you suffer from an injury because of someone else’s negligence, you will need to go see a doctor. However, seeing your doctor does not stop at the first medical appointment. Instead, you need to make sure you go to all scheduled medical appointments. If you skip any, your doctor will make a note of this and can say that you did not follow the scheduled treatment plan.
- Communicate with Your Attorney. When your attorney tries to call you, email you, or communicate with you in some other way, you should respond. Many people get frustrated when they attempt to get in touch with their attorney and their attorney or their office doesn’t respond. You must have an open line of communication so that there isn’t wasted time.
- Maintain Honesty. When your attorney wants to know something it is in your best interest to be open and honest. This is important because not only will it help your attorney get all the information they need but it can help them begin devising potential arguments that the other side may come up with. Explain what happened in detail and be ready to answer any questions your attorney may have.
- Follow Your Lawyers Advice. When your attorney asks for information or tells you a certain approach is for the best, it is because they are familiar with the personal injury claim process. While you are not required to do what your attorney tells you, if you disagree with them on something or aren’t sure why they are asking you to do something, speak with them openly about any concerns you may have. This will ensure you claim goes as smoothly as possible, especially if the lawsuit goes to court.