Preparation is the key to making the most of your initial consultation with a medical malpractice attorney. In this meeting, the attorney will likely make an initial assessment of your chances to win a medical malpractice settlement or lawsuit. You will have a limited time to convey your circumstances.
So take the time to organize basic information and documents in advance of this meeting including the following steps:
- Get copies of your relevant medical records, x-rays, and radiologist reports
- Make a list of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of medical professionals related to your claim
- Bring copies of medical bills and health insurance statements
- Make a list of the therapies and medications currently prescribed for you
- Copy any correspondence or notices you received in connection with the medical condition in question
Building a legal case
These documents will be extremely helpful to your medical malpractice attorney. They will serve as a basis for identifying exactly where negligence occurred or how the treatment you received deviated from the standard of care for your condition. Negligence or reckless conduct by another towards you is the basis for any personal injury lawsuit, including medical malpractice.
Your medical malpractice lawyer will then consult with medical experts, especially those with expertise in the area of medicine relevant to your claim, to determine if your case has merit. If the attorney takes your case, in most cases there is no upfront fee for this legal representation. Attorney compensation is usually a percentage of the settlement received.
Dr. Michael M. Wilson is an attorney and a physician who earned his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his legal and medical degrees from Georgetown University. He has focused in the area of medical malpractice for more than three decades and secured more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients throughout the country. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is listed in America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.
