29 January 2024
By Sarah Vinall
What to bring to your first legal appointment for a CTP claim
If you suffer injuries in a car accident, it is important to seek legal advice as soon as possible to discuss your entitlement to compensation.
At Andersons, we offer a first free thirty minute consultation to discuss your entitlements and to outline the process involved in a making a claim for compensation.
To ensure you get the most out of this first free consultation, it is important to bring with you all the relevant information including the following:
1. Details of the accident and any other drivers, passengers, and cars involved and any witnesses to the accident
It is important to provide details of where the accident occurred, the date of the accident, the details of the drivers involved in the accident and details of any witnesses. You will need to know the registration number of the vehicle who was at fault for the accident, so that the appropriate insurer can be identified. If you have a copy of the police report and you have already lodged a claim with the relevant insurer, you should bring copies of the claim form and any supportive documents and a copy of the police report.
2. Details of your injuries and treatment providers
You will need to provide a comprehensive list of your injuries and bring copies of any medical reports, hospital discharge summaries or medical certificates that you have obtained. If you consult with a lawyer shortly after the accident, you may not have many of these types of documents, so just bring what you have that relates to the accident and contact details for any treatment providers.
3. Correspondence letters and emails
You need to bring copies of any letters or emails or text messages with the parties involved in the accident or with the insurer if you have already made a claim. If you have lodged your claim with the insurer, it is important to bring along any letters from them especially letters or emails in which they discuss liability and advise whether they accept the claim or not.
4. Employment information
If you have suffered lost income as a result of the accident, you should bring details of your employment and lost wages to the appointment.
5. Details of expenses incurred
It is a good idea to have a rough idea of any expenses you have incurred as a result of the injuries you sustained in the accident so that you can tell your lawyer. Whilst you don’t need to bring all receipts to this first appointment, it is important to keep copies of them for when they are needed.
6. List of questions
If you have any particular questions you would like answered at the appointment, it can be helpful to bring a list of these questions. This way you can ensure you don’t forget to ask them if the answers are not already covered during the meeting.
By arriving at the appointment with as much of the above information as possible, you can help your lawyer to quickly understand the circumstances of the accident, your injuries and their impact upon you which will help them to provide advice on any issues relating to liability for the accident and the types of damages you may be entitled to claim.
How Can Andersons Help?
If you would like more information about motor vehicle accident claims or would like to make an appointment to see one of our personal injury lawyers please contact us here today.