How to Prepare for Your First Meeting with a Rideshare Accident Attorney

Rideshare trips have simplified the process of getting from A to B, but that convenience can quickly get complicated if you’re involved in a wreck. Who is liable for your injuries? What evidence do you need to support your personal injury claim? What can you do to help strengthen your case? These are examples of just some of the questions a skilled lawyer can answer as part of a free consultation—even if you arrive empty-handed. 

However, to maximize this opportunity, it pays to come prepared. Let’s look at a few items you might want to bring to this first meeting: 

Gather and Compile the Relevant Financial Documents 

In a personal injury case, you can only recover compensation for losses you are able to prove. As such, you will need to gather and compile any invoices, receipts, and estimates associated with your accident-related expenses. Such documents could include bills for repairs, medical records, and invoices for replacement services. Additionally, if you were unable to work because of your injuries, you should also collect proof of lost income such as letters from your employer, pay stubs, and tax returns.  

Start a Personal Injury Journal 

If you haven’t done so already, starting your own personal injury journal to help track your pain levels, medication side effects, and other aspects of your recovery could be crucial to the success of your claim. Your attorney may use your entries to prove damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment in life. Alternatively, if you are seeking compensation for lost income, your entries could also help show the ways in which your injuries impede your ability to do your job. 

Deactivate Your Social Media Accounts 

While it’s tempting to take to social media and vent about this harrowing experience, your posts could come back to haunt you. It’s relatively easy—especially for a shrewd claims adjuster—to misrepresent what you wrote or take your comments out of context to challenge your credibility.  

Alternatively, your “check ins” could be used to track your whereabouts, making it easy for the insurance company to keep tabs on where you are and what you are doing. If, for example, your social media activity shows you jumping from one social event to the next, the claims adjuster could use these digital footprints as evidence to argue that you ignored your doctor’s orders to rest. In such situations, your financial award could be reduced.  

Stick to Your Treatment Plan 

If you haven’t visited the doctor to undergo a medical assessment, you should do so immediately. However, once you’ve received a diagnosis, your work isn’t over. From the first day of your recovery until the moment you’ve been given the all-clear, you should follow your doctor’s orders closely. Any signs that you deviated from your treatment plan could be all the evidence opposing parties need to successfully dispute your case.  

Speak to a Rideshare Accident Attorney in California Today 

Did your last Uber or Lyft trip end in disaster? Turn to the rideshare accident attorneys at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your options. We can review your situation as part of a free consultation, providing you with the insight you need to make informed decisions about your case. Dial 1-800-GO-HARRIS or head over to our contact page HERE to lock in a case review.