What Should I Tell My Car Accident Lawyer About My Accident?

There’s a lot to consider when discussing your accident with an Indiana car accident attorney, and it might be beneficial to jot down a list of everything you want to say when you schedule a consultation.

The three topics of discussion that you’ll want to focus on include:

• Facts regarding the accident itself
• Your injuries and prognosis
• Any communication you’ve had with the insurance companies

Sharing Facts and Evidence from the Accident

Your attorney will want all the details about your accident as he or she puts together your case. Accident evidence can prove the other party’s negligence, minimize your fault, and help your attorney better relay car accident details to the judge, jury, or insurance companies.

Some of the things you’ll want to collect to share with your car accident lawyer include:

• A play-by-play of what you remember from the accident
• When and where the accident took place
• Pictures or video you took at the scene
• Any witness statements and contact info you collected
• The police report
• Any factors that contributed to the accident, such as weather or road construction

Detailing Your Medical Condition and Prognosis

Proving the extent of your injuries is crucial to obtaining adequate and fair compensation after an accident. Any manner that your injury has affected your life—in your relationships, career, financial well-being, mental health—is applicable to your case and you should share the information with your lawyer.

Some of the things you’ll want to share with your personal injury attorney to effectively demonstrate your injuries include:

• Medical records and bills
• Your doctors’ prognoses
• List of your recommended treatments and prescriptions
• Injury journal detailing the your progress, pain levels, and the impact of your injury on your day-to-day life
• Future treatments that you might need
• Doctors’ and mental health practitioners’ statements regarding your condition
• Photos of your injury

Telling Your Attorney about Communications with Insurance Agents

Another thing you’ll want to discuss with your car accident lawyer is any phone calls, letters, or settlement offers you have received from your or the other party’s insurance company.

Your lawyer can advise you on:

• What to say and what not to say during interviews with adjusters
• Whether or not the settlement offer is fair
• How to handle matters if the insurance company is acting unscrupulous

It’s important to talk with your attorney about these conversations because insurance adjusters are trained to lower their company’s overall payout. They may try to use shady tactics to get you to agree to a smaller settlement than what you’re entitled. Share anything the insurance company tells you with your lawyer so he can ensure everything is handled fairly and appropriately and then fight back if it’s not.

Need an Indiana Car Accident Lawyer?

If you’re looking for counsel in Indiana for your car accident claim, contact Hensley Legal Group for a free case review. Be sure to download our free eBook, Consumer’s Guide for Injured Victims, for more information on what steps you should take after an Indiana car accident.