Bring a Navigable Starter File, Not a Perfect Archive
Bring enough information to orient the Detroit consultation, but do not postpone the meeting while trying to obtain every possible record. Start with a short chronology, the people and organizations involved, the documents already available, and the dates that may require action. Label missing or uncertain information instead of filling gaps with guesses.
Lead With a One-Page Event and Contact Summary
List the event date and location, what happened in sequence, the people involved, witnesses, employers, property owners, product or vehicle identifiers, government entities, insurers, claim numbers, and other lawyers. A personal injury lawyer can use that map to perform conflict screening and identify likely evidence custodians.
Add a date table for medical visits, missed work, insurer calls, notices, signed documents, repairs, benefit decisions, and upcoming appointments or deadlines. Mark whether each date is exact, estimated, or awaiting confirmation. Bring identification and the preferred contact method, but transmit sensitive material only through the firm's approved secure process.
Sort Evidence by Event, Injury, and Financial Effect
For the event, gather reports, photographs, video, diagrams, witness contacts, correspondence, contracts, policies, maintenance information, product documents, and any physical evidence location. Do not alter, annotate, repair, or discard the original item merely to make it easier to present.
For health and loss, bring treatment records already received, bills, insurance explanations, prescription information, work restrictions, wage documents, benefit letters, prior-condition records, and a dated account of functional changes. An accident lawyer needs the source and status of a number, not just a total copied into a summary.
Finish With Questions and a Custody Inventory
Write down questions about deadlines, evidence at risk, insurance duties, medical documentation, communication, fees, expenses, decision authority, and next steps. List every item held by another person or organization, the request status, and the expected delivery date so the consultation can distinguish available proof from planned proof.
Bring signed releases, settlement proposals, recorded-statement requests, denial letters, portal screenshots, and court papers in full. The useful output is a prioritized checklist showing what to preserve, obtain, verify, calendar, or avoid changing. A consultation packet supports evaluation; it does not establish representation, case acceptance, value, or outcome. Keep a duplicate inventory so both sides know which records were transmitted and which originals remain with the client. At S&S Law, we help Detroit clients with consultation materials.