Before meeting a personal injury attorney to discuss your accident and potential claim for damages, it’s important to ensure you’re prepared with the proper documents, reports and relevant information surrounding your injury.
Documentation, including police reports, medical receipts, and witness statements, lend credibility to your case, while providing your lawyer with key information to help determine whether litigation is warranted. An experienced lawyer can then review this information to offer a realistic projection on the value of your claim.
Make sure you’ve assembled everything from this personal injury checklist before scheduling your first legal consultation. If you are unable to locate some of the information, don’t worry. Your attorney can help you track down exactly what is needed to achieve the best possible outcome.
Personal Injury Information Checklist
- Accident information: Your legal counsel needs to have the full names, addresses and contact information of any people who were involved in the injury accident. This includes the name of the police officer (s) who responded to the scene, the names and contact info of any witnesses to the accident, and the names and addresses of people who you have talked to about your injuries. Also make note of the dates you missed work because of the accident.
- Medical & hospital information: Your attorney also needs to know the date that the accident happened, and the name and address of the ambulance service if you used one. Be ready to provide the names, addresses and contact information of any health care practitioners, doctors or specialists who saw adnd treated you after the accident. You also need to furnish the dates of each medical visit, doctor’s appointment or ER visit.
- Insurance information: If you or the defendant has insurance, please provide the insurance adjustor’s name, address and contact information.
Documents to Bring
Your attorney needs all the facts and supporting documentation of the accident in order to make a strong claim for compensation. You should save all receipts for accident-related expenses, check stubs or deposit statements that demonstrate your income before and after the injury, which can help prove your economic losses.
- Copy of the official police accident report
- Your medical/health insurance card
- Relevant insurance documents (car or health) that enumerate your policy coverage and limits
- All emails or letters with your insurance adjustor/carrier about the accident
- Homeowners insurance policy if the accident took place at home
- If you have disability or Veteran’s insurance, bring proof
- Written statements (or copies) furnished by eyewitnesses
- Proof of lost wages – with check stubs or bank statements
- Receipts for all medical expenses, including physician fees, surgeries, tests, assistive devices like wheelchairs or crutches
- Receipts for prescription medicines, or pain medications
- Receipts for non-medical but accident-related expenses like car repairs, parking fees or transportation costs to get to and from the doctors
This initial consult also provides a great opportunity to ask your attorney about their prior experience handling cases like yours, their fee schedule, and projected time frame for the entire claims process.
Free case review in New York & New Jersey
If you were seriously injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, it’s in your best interest to speak with a reputable personal injury law firm. Since 1975, the legal team at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman has been representing injury victims throughout Rockland County, NY and Bergen County, New Jersey. Put our expertise and resources to work for you; call us today for a complimentary case review.
Additional “personal injury documentation” resources
- New York State DMV, Get an Accident Report, https://dmv.ny.gov/get-accident-report
- New Jersey State Police, Crash Report Information, http://www.njsp.org/information/crash-report.shtml