Why You Should Ask for a Free Consultation for your Personal Injury Case

By Hayhurst Law

Why should you ask for a free consultation for your personal injury case?

• Personal injury attorneys offer free consultations to determine if they can help you with your case
• You can prepare for the meeting by compiling all your information and knowing what to expect from the process.

If you or someone you love gets injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may need legal advice to protect your rights. Many people are afraid to seek help from an attorney because they fear they can’t afford large retainers or high hourly rates. However, personal injury attorneys often offer free consultations to help you understand your options.

How Do I Prepare for My Free Consultation?

Meeting with an attorney can be intimidating. It’s helpful to remember the purpose of the meeting. You want to present a complete picture of what happened and the situation’s results so the lawyer can decide whether they can help with your case. You are also evaluating the professional to see if this is someone with whom you want to work. Here are a few ideas to help you prepare for your appointment.

• Bring your documentation to support your case. By the time you are ready to meet with an attorney, you likely have lots of documentation and evidence to support your claim. Please bring it with you to your consultation with your attorney. You will tell the lawyer about your injury and the circumstances surrounding it, but having evidence to confirm what you say makes your case stronger. Pictures, police reports, and medical records are all strong supporting evidence.

• Make a list of your questions before your appointment. You may want to ask questions about how long the lawyer has been in practice, how many personal injury cases they have handled, and the outcomes.

• Know that the attorney will have questions for you too. Beyond the fundamental questions about what happened, the lawyer will want to understand whether you bear any fault for the accident. The professional will also assess whether you’re truthful. The lawyer’s goal is to determine if he or she can help you with your case.

• Be ready to talk about fees and expenses. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means they don’t get paid unless they recover money for you.

What Happens After the Free Consultation?

After the consultation, the attorney may or may not agree to represent you. If the answer is no, it’s usually for one of these reasons:

• The attorney might have a conflict of interest. Perhaps another party in your case is a client of the firm, or the attorney has represented them in the past. The lawyer may have a personal relationship with someone involved in the case or be related to them. All of these situations would require the attorney to decline the case.

• If your injuries and damages are minor, the recovery potential may be too small for the attorney to take the case.

• The statute of limitations for your case has run out or is close to running out. Every state has a limited period for filing personal injury cases. If the time has run out for your case, there’s very little if anything the attorney can do to help. If time is close to running out, the attorney may not be able to prepare the case prior to time running out.

• If you bear a great deal of responsibility for the accident, that can limit the recovery potential.

• If other attorneys have already passed on the case, the one you are meeting with will probably be hesitant to take the chance.

• The attorney might not specialize in personal injury cases. If that’s the case, the professional may prefer to pass the case to someone else with more experience. In that case, the lawyer might be able to recommend someone.

Where Can I Learn More?

If you need help with a personal injury case in Pennsylvania or West Virginia, contact Hayhurst Law. Our team of knowledgeable professionals can help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your case, so you can make the best decision going forward.

If you or someone you know has been in a motor vehicle wreck in West Virginia, call our Morgantown car accident attorney at or write to us online. Free consultations.

Why You Should Ask for a Free Consultation for your Personal Injury Case

By Hayhurst Law

Why should you ask for a free consultation for your personal injury case?

• Personal injury attorneys offer free consultations to determine if they can help you with your case
• You can prepare for the meeting by compiling all your information and knowing what to expect from the process.

If you or someone you love gets injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may need legal advice to protect your rights. Many people are afraid to seek help from an attorney because they fear they can’t afford large retainers or high hourly rates. However, personal injury attorneys often offer free consultations to help you understand your options.

How Do I Prepare for My Free Consultation?

Meeting with an attorney can be intimidating. It’s helpful to remember the purpose of the meeting. You want to present a complete picture of what happened and the situation’s results so the lawyer can decide whether they can help with your case. You are also evaluating the professional to see if this is someone with whom you want to work. Here are a few ideas to help you prepare for your appointment.

• Bring your documentation to support your case. By the time you are ready to meet with an attorney, you likely have lots of documentation and evidence to support your claim. Please bring it with you to your consultation with your attorney. You will tell the lawyer about your injury and the circumstances surrounding it, but having evidence to confirm what you say makes your case stronger. Pictures, police reports, and medical records are all strong supporting evidence.

• Make a list of your questions before your appointment. You may want to ask questions about how long the lawyer has been in practice, how many personal injury cases they have handled, and the outcomes.

• Know that the attorney will have questions for you too. Beyond the fundamental questions about what happened, the lawyer will want to understand whether you bear any fault for the accident. The professional will also assess whether you’re truthful. The lawyer’s goal is to determine if he or she can help you with your case.

• Be ready to talk about fees and expenses. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means they don’t get paid unless they recover money for you.

What Happens After the Free Consultation?

After the consultation, the attorney may or may not agree to represent you. If the answer is no, it’s usually for one of these reasons:

• The attorney might have a conflict of interest. Perhaps another party in your case is a client of the firm, or the attorney has represented them in the past. The lawyer may have a personal relationship with someone involved in the case or be related to them. All of these situations would require the attorney to decline the case.

• If your injuries and damages are minor, the recovery potential may be too small for the attorney to take the case.

• The statute of limitations for your case has run out or is close to running out. Every state has a limited period for filing personal injury cases. If the time has run out for your case, there’s very little if anything the attorney can do to help. If time is close to running out, the attorney may not be able to prepare the case prior to time running out.

• If you bear a great deal of responsibility for the accident, that can limit the recovery potential.

• If other attorneys have already passed on the case, the one you are meeting with will probably be hesitant to take the chance.

• The attorney might not specialize in personal injury cases. If that’s the case, the professional may prefer to pass the case to someone else with more experience. In that case, the lawyer might be able to recommend someone.

Where Can I Learn More?

If you need help with a personal injury case in Pennsylvania or West Virginia, contact Hayhurst Law. Our team of knowledgeable professionals can help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your case, so you can make the best decision going forward.

If you or someone you know has been in a motor vehicle wreck in West Virginia, call our Morgantown car accident attorney at or write to us online. Free consultations.