What You Need To Bring To Your Attorney At The First Meeting
LawsDoctors and other types of medical professionals are some of the most trusted, if not the most trusted, type of professional that serves the general public. Medical professionals know a lot of private and sensitive information about their patients. Patients trust that this information will be protected. They also trust that the doctor’s advice is correct and that the doctor will heal the patient.
The experienced Kingston medical malpractice attorney knows that patients can experience a lot of emotional distress when doctors make mistakes. Disbelief and denial are common emotions. Confronting the negligent doctor is often stress provoking. But at some point, many patients who were injured by the negligent act of a doctor come to terms with their feelings and contact a medical malpractice attorney for help.
The dedicated medical malpractice attorney is friendly, welcoming, respectful, and responds to the plight of injured patients with empathy. It is understood that it takes a lot of strength and courage to contact an attorney about a doctor’s negligence. Reading this should relieve the patient of some stress.
Since many people fail to talk to an attorney because of money reasons, let us first discuss what the injured patient will not need. That is money; medical malpractice attorneys work on a contingent fee basis. This means that the attorney only gets paid if the patient receives compensation from the negligent doctor.
With the cost issue aside, the medical malpractice attorney will need a number of things from the injured patient in order to competently analyze the strength of the patient’s claim.
The patient should set aside at least an hour, but most likely more, to meet with the attorney for the first meeting. Bring an open mind and the willingness to recall and convey as much information as possible.
Be prepared to give the attorney a list of all treatment providers and physicians that provided treatment. Records of doctor’s visits and medical procedures will also be needed. Since patients will not have the full medical record, just bring what is available. The attorney will receive a release of information authorization from the patient so that the patient’s full medical records can be obtained.
Records of medical expenses are needed as well. This way, the attorney can calculate how much money was paid due to the doctor’s negligence. Attendance records from work could help too. Wages lost due to missing work after being injured by a doctor can be compensated to the victim.
But what do you think? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com. You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.