VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Hello everyone. This is Robert Mansour and I want to welcome you to the forms page. Once you click on "Download the Forms," you're going to see the forms here. It's 10 pages that you can print out, but I want to walk you through it and help guide you here. So what's important to note is only sign the forms where you see an X. There's going to be other stuff there, but don't fill that stuff out. We will take care of that stuff. But wherever you see an X, please date, sign, etc. If you're not sure how to do something or you're confused about something, please call my office and we will walk you through it. The first thing is the actual contingency fee agreement. The contingency fee agreement means that the lawyer gets paid if I recover money for you from the accident.

So the first section here is a matter of covered services provided information about filing a lawsuit. If we decide to do that, associating other attorneys in your case, if that's necessary - No guarantees, litigation, costs and expenses. Important information about medical expenses that you might incur a little bit more about the actual contingency fee itself, the attorney's lien - withdrawal from the case by either party. If there's a dispute, there's an arbitration clause. Further agreements, file retention and client acknowledgement. So you just sign at the bottom.

Now if there's more than one client signing up, so for example, if there's two people, client number two would sign where indicated. We even have a space here for three people. If you're signing on behalf of a minor, make sure you sign as shown on the form. We have some guidance there for you. And at the very bottom of the retainer agreement, we ask that you put your best mailing address, your best phone number and email account you check regularly, not one that you check every few months and your birth date.

Next is the agency authorization form. This form allows my office to represent you and insurance companies and others will not talk to my office unless you fill this out. And again, just the bottom part where you see the X's. Now for each client, you're going to need a separate form for this one. Authorization to provide information - This one is used if you need our office to obtain the police report. If you didn't get your hands on it already, or if you're going to be making a claim for lost earnings, this might be helpful for you to fill out. And again, only where you see the X's on the bottom and we need one for each client. Next is something called the HIPAA compliant authorization form. And this is basically allowing my office access to your medical records from various medical providers.

Some places may have their own authorizations and we will deal with that when the time comes. But all you need do is fill out where you see X's on the second page. And if you're signing on behalf of a minor sign on the bottom and for each client we will need a separate form. Finally, and perhaps in my opinion, most importantly is the Client Responsibilities form. And I can't tell you how important this is. This is a whole bunch of tips and advice about how to handle your injury claim and how to best approach your injury claim so that you can maximize your chances of a successful outcome. Now, this is not going to guarantee a successful outcome, but if you do the things that are on these two pages, it's going to help a lot and it will make my life a lot easier as your attorney.

So I want you to pay very special attention to these responsibilities and these tips. Read it very carefully. If you have any questions about them, please let me know. If you want me to walk through it with you, I would be happy to. And then date, sign and print your name at the very bottom of the second page. Once again, I cannot emphasize how important these two pages are.

​Once everything has been signed and returned to my office, we can then begin with your representation and we will walk you through all the other steps after that. Thank you very much for taking the time to watch this. I hope you found it helpful. Take care.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Hello everybody. This is Robert Mansour . Today I wanted to make a video about how uninsured motorists works. If you have uninsured motorist coverage on your auto policy, which I hope you do ... It a very important piece of insurance, you have to understand how it actually works. Let's say you have uninsured motorist of say, $15,000.

What that means is, if the responsible party in the accident has zero insurance - doesn't have any insurance at all - at least you can turn to your company and say, "Hey...the responsible party was uninsured. Therefore, my uninsured motorists policy should apply." You will get coverage up to $15,000. Now that doesn't mean you'd get a check for $15,000. That means that they will pay up to $15,000. If your case is worth say, $5,000, they're not going to pay you $15,000, even though they are your insurance company. That's the limit - $15,000.

Now, let's talk about how uninsured motorist policies also work. Uninsured motorist is often equivalent to something called underinsured motorist. What is underinsured motorist? Underinsured motorist, is when the other part has insurance, but they don't have enough. Let's say you have a serious injury, and let's say your case is worth say, $100,000 for the case of our discussion right now.

Let's say the other party, the responsible party, had $50,000 in coverage. Well, what you could do is you can take the $50,000 from the responsible party, provided they offer it to you. And then what you can do is then you can turn to your company and say, "Hey...the responsible party only had $50,000. My case is worth more than that. I would like to tap into my $100,000 underinsured motorist policy."

Now, often times you will see it on your policy. It'll say, uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM). They often go together. How does that work? Well, your insurance company would then open a claim for you, or you would open a claim and they would help you with that. And then, they would say, "Okay, you got $50,000 from the responsible party. We think your case is worth $75,000. You might say, "Well, I think my case is worth $100,000. I should get all the money!"

They say, "Well, we don't agree with you." You can see there could be a disagreement between your company and your evaluation, or your company might agree with you. Your company might say, "Yeah...your case is worth $100,000" or they might say, "You know what? You got $50,000 from the responsible party. That's enough. We don't think your case is worth anymore than $50,000. We think you've been adequately compensated."

Here's the thing. Even though now we understand that you and your insurance company may have a difference of opinion. Here's how it would work mathematically. Let's say for example, you and your insurance company agree that your case is really worth $75,000. Don't forget you have a $100,000 policy available to you. If they and you agree, $75,000, what they do then is they subtract what you got from the responsible party. In our example, you got $50,000 from the responsible party.

What that means, is they would say, "Okay, $75,000 value, minus $50,000 you got from the responsible party. We will give you $25,000." If you add the $25,000 to the $50,000 you got from the responsible party, that equals $75,000. Your insurance company effectively gets a "credit" for what you got from the responsible party. Now, that stands to reason. Remember, if the responsible party has zero, your insurance company's going to subtract zero. They're going to pay you the entire amount that you and your insurance company agreed to.

Now, if you an your insurance company cannot agree to the value of the case and you think it's worth $100,000 or $200,000 or whatever, and they think it's worth $75,000 - well in that particular case, what most often happens is you might have to enter into something called "arbitration" with your company. You and your insurance company basically go to battle with one another - but in the context of arbitration, which is a little, bit less formal than going to court.

You would hire an arbitrator that both sides agreed to. The arbitrator would hear the case. Usually this arbitrator is a retired judge in most cases. They hear the case. They listen to both sides just like a "mini trial" and then they make a decision that both sides have to live with. That's a little bit of an explanation as to how uninsured motorists and underinsured motorists work. I hope you found this video helpful. Thank you very much for watching. 

1.  Don’t post anything to social media (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, etc).  Be mindful of what you post since the insurance companies WILL definitely be researching you online. It is best to stay off social media entirely while your matter is ongoing.  It's amazing to me how many people post photos online after their car accident.  They will post photos of the accident and say, "Big accident today, but I'm fine...LOL" - and then the insurance adjuster finds that posting and uses it against the client in the future.  I had a client one time who was a drummer in a band.  He hurt his shoulder in the accident but later posted videos of himself drumming on YouTube and Twitter.  He explained his band was trying to get attention and I had to explain to him that the insurance company found those videos are are accusing him of lying about his injuries.  Even photos of you having a nice time on a family vacation can be used against you.  The insurance company will argue that you are not very hurt if you can go on vacation with your family! 
 
2.  DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR at a storage/tow lot.  Storage/tow lots charge ridiculous storage fees.  Don't assume the insurance companies are “handling” this.  You need to get your vehicle out of the storage lot as quickly as you can.  Basically, if you want your company to fix your car (and you have the applicable insurance coverage for that), then you need to call your company and they will go get the car out of storage and to their own storage facility or their own storage lot.  If you want the responsible party's company to do so, you should call them and make a property damage claim.  However, if the responsible party's company is going to drag their feet or they haven't yet determined fault, you don't have time to wait around.  You should see if your company can handle the property damage.  If you're worried about incurring a deductible, weigh that against incurring daily storage fees at the tow yard.  In many cases, your company will seek reimbursement from the responsible company and ultimately reimburse your deductible. In some cases, your company might even waive the deductible.  
 
3.  Don’t speak with ANY adjusters about your injuries without consulting with a lawyer.  In all my years as a lawyer, for both the defense and for the plaintiffs, I've never seen this work out well for a client.  Insurance adjusters are trained at minimizing your claim (even if it's an adjuster from your own company).  They sound friendly and concerned but they are not.  That's not to say all adjusters are unfair, but I would err on the side of caution every day of the week.
 
4.  Avoid renting a car on your own!  Discuss with us first!  Many folks will rent a car thinking they will get paid back by the insurance company.  Even with rental coverage on your own auto policy, that doesn’t mean you can rent a car for $60 per day.  You need to be aware of limitations your policy.  Whenever possible, rent a car through the company.  In other words, you simply provide a claim number at the car rental agency counter.  Whenever possible, you want to avoid paying out of pocket then hoping for reimbursement.
 
5.  Don’t skip health care appointments.  Simply put, insurance adjusters will argue you weren’t really hurt because you canceled and/or missed your health care appointments.  You might have a very good reason for missing the appointment, but as far as the insurance company is concerned, you must be fine and don't need health care if you missed the appointment.  Try to reschedule any missed appointments and document with the health care provider why you missed the appointment.  Call them and explain so it can end up in your records. Don't just skip the appointment without any explaination.
  
6.  Don’t ignore bills from a hospital, ambulance, ER, or other providers. You are responsible for these bills.  You can't just throw these bills in the trash and assume the responsible party is going to pay for them.  These bills are for services rendered to you and they are your responsibility. 
 
7.  Take photos of car damage and physical injuries right away.  The insurance company's job is to make your claim and injuries looks small. Photos of injuries and vehicle damage can help fight that.   Take photos every few days of any visible injuries to demonstrate to the insurance company that your injuries didn't simply go away the day after the accident.  That impresses upon them the severity of your injuries.  Remember, documentation (especially photos) is the key in these types of cases.
 
8.  Get medical care if you are injured.  If you don’t get medical care, or if you wait too long, the insurance adjuster will simply maintain that you were not injured.  You could be at home in excruciating pain, but without treatment or other medical care, they will simply assume you are doing just fine.
 
9. Your medical history is important.  Inform your doctors and other health care providers of any aggravation or exacerbation of a similar previous injury.  You cannot ignore or hide your medical history.  If you had similar prior injuries but you deny them, that prior history may surface one day and it might look like you are lying.  That will sink your entire case.  Don’t ignore your medical history.  It may become important – even if you had pain years ago.  I had a client recently who alleged severe neck pain after an accident.  She denied ever having neck pain before the accident.  In reviewing her prior medical records, I found that she had CHRONIC neck pain 2 weeks before the accident.  When I confronted her, she said she forgot about that.  Well, needless to say, her case imploded because she sought to hide her prior pain.  People don't like it when you lie (or selective memory).  In fact, doing so can destroy an otherwise excellent case.   
 
10.  If you can't work, get a note putting you off work. You need a doctor's note for each period you are unable to work. Insurance companies generally ignore claims for lost earnings unless you were following doctor’s orders.  If your claim is smaller, say $500 or so, that might not be a problem.  However, if you are going to ask for significant lost earnings, then a doctor's note is much more important to have. 
 
11.  If you use your own health insurance for any accident care/treatment, your health insurance company will probably be entitled to reimbursement if you recover money from the responsible party.  They will typically hire a third party recovery company to pursue reimbursement.  Companies often used are “Meridian”, “Rawlings”, “Optum” etc.  The right to recovery extends  automatically to Medi-Cal and Medicare. 
 
12.  You MUST tell your doctors about ALL injuries. Be extremely specific. If something isn’t documented, it probably won’t be considered by the adjuster.  The most important thing when it comes to your medical care is proper documentation!  Each body part that is injured has a diagnostic code related to it.  Insurance adjusters often use computer software when evaluating your claim.  Each body part is assigned a value by the software. I had a client once who didn't want to bother the doctor by complaining about his shoulder.  He explained his neck was his primary concern.  A few months later, he needed shoulder surgery but the insurance company dismissed his contention because he never mentioned shoulder pain to the doctor.  It's not time to be stoic.  I encourage clients to mention ALL injuries to their health care providers, not matter how trivial the complain may seem.  
 
13.  How an accident affects your daily life activities affects the evaluation of your case. You must inform your doctors of any daily life activities affected by your accident.  This includes work, home, school, etc. Remember, your records should document all the effects of the accident. Keep a journal regarding how your daily life is affected.  Give your notes to your attorney.  You might even consider showing the doctor your notes.  If something isn’t in your medical records, it likely won't even be considered by a claims adjuster.

Waiting too long to contact an attorney after your accident is not a good idea. In most cases, it's a good idea to at least speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer at the outset of your case, long before you talk to any insurance company/adjuster.  The insurance companies are out to protect themselves, not you.  Even your own insurance company may not have your best interests in mind.  How you handle things during the first few weeks after your accident is critical.  Lawyers are not magicians.  Don't visit a lawyer after you've done too much damage to your case, hoping he/she is going to make everything better. That's not how it works.  Lawyers don't have any magical powers.  We do our best to present your case in the best light, but if too much damage has been done, there isn't much we can do.  We're kind of stuck with what we have. 

In recent years, I have taken on a handful of cases where clients called me about a year or two after the accident. Sometimes, they indeed have a good case but they mismanaged the entire thing. They didn’t go to the doctor to seek care - even though they were hurt.  Even if they did go to the doctor, they did not provide details during their visits. Their medical records leave a lot to be desired. It’s kind of like watching a horrible movie. By the time the movie is over, there’s really nothing you can do about it. You can’t rewind the film and re-watch it - hoping for a different result.

In some cases, clients waited months before seeking medical care. Of course the insurance company will argue that they weren’t really hurt and the provided care was unrelated to the accident. Then we have clients who bring up injuries months after a car accident. If your shoulder hurts after an accident, bring it up to the doctor.  Don't keep your injuries a secret!  Don't wait till a year after the accident to mention the shoulder issues.  As you can imagine, the insurance adjuster will also argue that such injuries are likely unrelated as they were not raised until months (or longer) after the accident.

It is important to seek an attorney’s advice early on in your case, even if you don’t intend to hire a lawyer. Presenting an injury claim is an art to some extent.  There is a strategy to it.  We are not out to fake injuries or embellish anything.  We are not out to commit insurance fraud.  However, you want to present your matter in the best light possible.  Knowing how to present your case properly is half the battle. Insurance adjusters are looking for ways to poke holes in your case. Don’t make it easier for them!

There are many people involved when it comes to car accident claims.  Here is a brief list of some of the most important "cast members" involved in your personal injury claim.
1) The Insurance Adjuster - This is the person who works for the insurance company.  They might work for the responsible party's insurance company or they might work for your insurance company.  Sometimes, they are called "claims adjusters" or "claims examiners."  Either way, they represent the interests of the insurance company.  Like anything else in life, there are some who are better than others.  Some are more compassionate and others think everyone making a claim is lying.  Some are actually doing their best to help you, and other are bitter and jaded.  There is nothing you can do about this.  At first, you might speak with an general "intake" person at the insurance company.  Their job is to figure out what your claim is about and assign you to another adjuster.  
2) Property Damage Adjuster - In many companies, they have insurance adjusters who only handle property damage claims.  This is the person who will interface between you and the body shop.  This person also works with appraisers whose job is to get out "in the field" and examine vehicles all day.  They also might help with a rental car claim, damage to child car sets, and other "property" loss resulting from the car accident.
3) Bodily Injury Adjuster - This is another type of claims adjuster whose job is to evaluate your claim for bodily injury.  In some cases, they use software to analyze your case.  In other cases, some injury adjusters will use their own independent judgment based on various guidelines.  They are always trying to figure out if your treatment was "necessary" and/or "reasonable."  They almost always conclude your treatment was unnecessary and/or unreasonable.  In more severe accident cases, they are generally more forgiving.  Again, I'm generalizing.  Again, we are talking about human beings here so there will be differences among them. 
4) The Claimant - That is the person actually making the claim.  If you are making the claim, then you are the "claimant."
5) The Insured - This is the person insured by the company.  For example, if Mr. John Smith has insurance with Mercury Insurance, then he is their "insured."  Sometimes the insured is both the driver and the owner of the vehicle.  Sometimes, it's one or the other.  You are also an "insured" of your own insurance company.
6) Plaintiff's counsel (aka plaintiff's attorney) - This is the attorney representing the injured party.  
7) The Plaintiff - Once a lawsuit is filed, you are no longer the "claimant" (unless it's an uninsured motorist claim).  You become the "plaintiff."
8) The Defendant - This is the person being sued.  In most cases, you are not going to be suing the responsible party's insurance company.  Many people have the mistaken belief that they are going to sue someone's insurance company.  The insurance company wasn't the party that hit you.  It was Mr. Jones who hit you so he is the person you are going to sue.  Now, his insurance company will hire a lawyer to defend Mr. Jones, and it will be his company's decision whether or not to settle your claim with you or not.  In most cases, Mr. Jones will have little to nothing to do with your case unless liability is disputed.  In some cases, other than being sued, Mr. Jones will have very little involvement with the lawsuit your attorney filed against him.
9) The Defense Attorney - If you file a lawsuit against someone for a car accident, the insurance company for the responsible party will hire a lawyer to defend their "insured."  In some cases, they will hire an outside law firm.  Be mindful of that because that law firm usually gets paid by the hour, and they arguably have no incentive to settle your case as long as they can keep billing that insurance company.  Some outside firms will defend the case on a flat fee basis.  In many cases, the insurance company will have "in-house" lawyers who will defend their insureds in a lawsuit.  Now, while the defense attorney is technically defending the "insured' individual, their salary is paid by an insurance company.  To some extent, it presents a dilemma for the defense lawyer because they are arguably beholden to the insurance company - at least to some extent.  I use to work as a defense attorney for a major insurance company, and I can tell you there were many times I was frustrated because of insurance company decisions.  They were controlling the litigation, and my hands were often tied.  That's one of the main reasons I left my defense job and starting representing victims of serious auto accidents.

If you have a question about the process and/or need help with your serious injury case, please contact our office at (661) 414-7100 to see if we can assist you.

During a recent consultation with a personal injury client, I offered tons of tips as to how the client should conduct himself and things he should do with respect to his case.  The prospective client said, "Gee, this is kind of like a game?"  I agree but explained that we weren't trying to "trick" anyone.  However, there is a strategy to presenting your case in the best possible light.  You see, your opponent (the insurance company) is going to do everything it can to minimize your claim.  That means you have to do everything you can to counter that - and that requires a strategy.  If you know you're essentially playing a game, then you know you have to employ a strategy.  Some people wait too long and never realize they were in a "game" until they lose the game. 

Here are 5 common mistakes I have seen lately in my personal injury practice:

1) Clients waiting far too long before seeking medical attention. 

If you are injured, make sure you get medical care.  The absence of medical attention will be used against you. Calling a lawyer 6 months after an accident while you've had minimal to no medical care is not helpful.  I'm only a lawyer - not a magician. 

2) Clients who post stuff on social media.

The first thing the insurance company will do is look you up on social media.  They will "Google" your name, look for you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  They will look for any evidence of you acting inconsistently with your claim of injury.  In fact, we now routinely look up our own clients to see what they are posting online.  I encourage them to do the same.  You need to know what the insurance company is looking for.

I once had a client who was claiming a shoulder tear for which he needed surgery (the MRI actually showed a tear). However, a few weeks later, there he was playing drums on Facebook with his rock band.  The insurance adjuster was jumping for joy when he came across that!  Of course, my client had a perfectly good explanation, but now we had something we needed to explain.

I've had clients post photos of themselves working out at the gym, mud running, hiking, on vacation, dancing at parties, and much more - all on social media while claiming to be injured.  Here's some advice, if you've been injured in a car accident, don't post ANYTHING on social media until your case is concluded.  If that means you are "off the grid" for a year or two, so be it.  Social media is NOT your friend when it comes to injury claims.  There's nothing technically "wrong" about posting stuff on social media.  However, if you are claiming you're in pain, and then they find photos of you enjoying your European vacation, that's basically like sending the insurance adjuster a huge gift wrapped up in a big red bow.

3) Clients don't tell their medical providers about their accident. 

I can't tell you how many clients tell me of all their medical care post accident, and then when I research those records, there is little to no mention of the car accident.  If you don't mention your accident, most insurance adjusters will argue that you were getting medical care for reasons unrelated to the car accident.  

4) Clients who don't realize that insurance adjusters will be reading their medical records.

I can't emphasize this enough.  Don't tell your doctors you are "fine" if you are NOT fine.  Remember, the adjuster is going to be reading those records and holding a magnifying glass to them.  Anything in your medical records that can be used against you WILL be used against you.  I always tell my clients to imagine the insurance adjuster is actually present for every medical appointment and every physical therapy session.  Imagine they are standing there, recording every encounter.  You want them to fully understand your injuries and the effects of the injuries.  You want your medical records to be complete and well documented.  If you imagine the adjuster standing next to you, I promise you will be much more vocal with your health care professionals.  You are actually "speaking" to the insurance adjuster through those medical records.

5) Clients who ignore their past medical history or think it will never be an issue.

I'm convinced that many clients think their past medical history is irrelevant to their current case.  If you are claiming neck and back pain from an accident, or any injury, you can bet any prior complaints of similar pain will be used against you.  I often obtain my clients' past medical records to make sure I have a good handle on their medical history.  I would say about 50% of the time, we find similar complaints, sometimes dating only a few days or weeks before the accident  To complicate matters, my clients will actually deny any previous problems to their current providers.  As such, the client looks like they are lying or hiding something when their past medical records are found to be inconsistent with their present medical records.  Again, even if there was a perfectly good explanation, it just makes our hill much steeper to climb.

During every phase of a case, I try to be honest with my clients.  That often means I have to give them bad news or something they don't necessarily want to hear.  I don't do it to upset them.  I do it because I'm trying to protect them.  We have to be aware this is a "game" of sorts, and their opponent is the insurance company. My best clients understand that all I'm trying to do is be candid and offer them the best advice I'm capable of providing.

Make sure you know where your insurance policy is.  There may come a day when you really need to review the language in that policy.  It would be nice if you didn't have to order a copy of the policy and wait several days to receive it.  

Make sure you have your "Declarations Page" handy.  This is a summary of all the coverage you have on your policy (including comprehensive coverage, liability, property damage, etc.).  If you don't understand the coverage you have, ask your insurance company and/or insurance agent for an explanation.

Make sure you have "uninsured motorist" coverage.  Many people are driving out there without any insurance and/or without enough insurance.  There will likely come a time when you need to turn to your own company after an accident.  Also, get as much UM coverage as you can comfortably afford.  Don't just get the minimum.

Consider rental car insurance.  If you have an extra car, don't worry about this.  However, there may come a time when you need a rental car and you don't want to be beholden to the other party's company.  They may stall, delay, investigate, etc.  In the meantime, you need a rental car and you may be out of luck unless you carry rental car insurance on your policy.  If it's not too expensive, consider adding it.  

You should report accidents to your insurance company.  If you don't, there is a risk they will deny coverage later on if you (or another party) decide to make a claim.  Timely reporting of an accident is typically required in most auto insurance policies.  

After an accident, be very careful of what you say to any insurance company.  Things you say to the responsible party's company and even to your company may come back to haunt you in the future.  Keep your cool when making a claim.  Also, consider getting advice first from an attorney who handles personal injury cases.  They can certainly give you some guidance and things to keep in mind to help you navigate your claim.  If you are injured after an accident, you should definitely consider getting care right away.  

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Hello everyone, this is Robert Mansour, and I want to spend a couple of minutes now talking about what to bring to your initial personal injury consultation with the attorney. Let's begin. The first thing you want to bring with you is the police report if you have one. If you don't have a police report, find out when it's going to be available. Usually the officers will give you a little card at the scene with a report number on it, and a phone number. You should call and find out when that police report is going to be available. Your own insurance company might have already obtained a copy of the police report. You might want to call them, and see if they have it, or if they have access to it. At the very least, find out when it's going to be available.

The next thing you should bring to your personal injury consultation is any and all photos you have of the damage to your car, any injuries to your body. Any photos of damage to the car that hit you. Pictures speak a thousand words, and it's very compelling when you have very good pictures. Take pictures from different angles, don't just take a real close up picture that doesn't really tell the story. Take a picture from different angles, different distances. Remember, the insurance adjuster's job is to belittle your case from the very beginning. Your job is to make sure that they don't belittle your case by taking decent photos to tell the story of just how bad your accident was.

The next thing you want to bring is insurance information. If you have insurance information of the responsible party, claim number, phone numbers of the claims adjuster you've been speaking to, the claims adjusters ... They have a policy number that you might have. Maybe you have a claim number. All of the information that you have about the other party. You want to bring your insurance information. You want to specifically bring something called your declarations page. People say, "What's the declarations page?" The declarations page is a summary of all the insurance that you have on your policy. Usually when you get that little card in the mail that you put in your glove compartment, and it's proof of insurance. Your declarations page is usually with that. It shows all the different kinds of insurance that you have. Here's why you need that. Number one, if you're going to bring a claim, you have to establish that you have insurance. Number two, we may need to approach your insurance company if the other party doesn't have adequate insurance, or perhaps they have no insurance at all. That would be important to bring.

You want to make sure that you bring any of your personal information, an address, phone number, all of that stuff the attorney's really going to need that to be able to help you in evaluating your case. If you have any information about witnesses, people who saw the accident, who could testify about the accident. That would be very helpful as well.

If you've been to a hospital or any other medical care, see if you can get your medical records that you already have. Let's say you have an accident and then you went to the hospital and then you went to urgent care. Maybe you went to your own doctor. You might want to try to get your medical records and billing from all of those places. That might be helpful as well. At the very least, a list of all the medical care that you have received up to that point. If you don't have any medical care after that point, that's okay, but if you do you want to make a list of it and bring it to your attorney, because they're not going to just know about that. You need to communicate that to them.

Armed with this preliminary information about how the accident happened, the attorney might be able to give you some advice about what your options are going to be. At your first initial consultation, present the attorney with the information, listen to all of the options. You're under no pressure, usually. Just go ahead and think about it, and then make the best decision that is best for you and for your family. By the way, that decision might be not to bring a claim at all. You might decide, "You know what, it's too much trouble, it's too much risk, I don't really want to go through all this." That's a perfectly legitimate decision.

You might decide that you do want to pursue a claim. In which case, you might be able to pursue on your own, or you might be able to pursue it with the help of an attorney. A good lawyer will tell you whether or not you are better served having a lawyer, or better served, perhaps, not involving an attorney, and just doing it on your own. I hope you found this video very helpful. Thank you very much. Please call my office if I can be of assistance.

Call us at (661) 414-7100 to see if we can help with your personal injury case.