Prepping for a Personal Injury Case: Meeting with the Medical Experts

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll be involved in a personal injury case that doesn’t involve medical experts.  After all, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff, and if he or she is trying to prove that any injuries were sustained as a result of the defendants’ actions, an expert is likely going to be necessary. If you’re preparing for a personal injury case, make sure you have this checklist on hand when preparing for a meeting with the medical experts:

• Be Reliable.  The first step to getting your foot in the door comes with your reliability.  Create a relationship with the doctors’ assistants, since they’re likely the ones creating the schedules and sending the invoices.  Make yourself available whenever possible, show up to appointments promptly, and be congenial with everyone you meet.

• Be Proactive.  You never know which medical experts are going to be happy to help and which will dodge your calls, emails, and visits.  By starting this process early, you’ll have more time to build a relationship with the staff member, and you may be able to ease in an otherwise unwilling doctor.  Meet with the medical experts that will be involved with the case as early as possible.

• Be Organized.  In order for you to be the most well-informed, you should know everything about the medical records, insurance claims, and other corresponding documents as possible.  When you meet with the medical experts, have all of these forms in order, and make sure they’re well-organized.  This will save the doctors’ valuable time, and your efforts will likely make you an easier attorney with which to work.

• Be Communicative.  Take the time to communicate directly with the medical experts.  Understand that they’re busy people, and the more time that you afford them to prepare, the better your results will be.  Send a letter when you know the trial date, but be sure to stress the fact that they don’t need to block off that date or cancel patients until further notice.  Once you know when and where the doctor should appear, send another notice immediately.

• Be Respectful.  If a subpoena is inevitable, try to make time to meet with the doctors before the papers are served.  Outline the case, and detail a summary.

Want to learn more about best practices when you’re preparing for a personal injury case?  Find out how you can get all the tips below!

The Top 20 Steps to A Successful Personal Injury Trial: 120 Days Before Trial is a great resource for personal injury lawyers, law students, and others who want to be as successful as possible when going to court.