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This video helps clients understand how to get started with their personal injury case. Here is a complete transcript of the video:
Hello, everyone this is Robert Mansour and this brief video is designed to introduce you to how to get started with your personal injury case. So obviously if you've come to this website, you've probably been involved in a car accident and you might be looking for an attorney's guidance regarding whether or not you have a case worth pursuing, whether you're better doing nothing, whether you should handle it on your own, or whether perhaps you should get a lawyer involved. So you've come to the right place and this the starting point. So the first thing you've got to do is call my office. The reason you want to call the office is to setup your initial personal injury consultation and the consultation should occur as soon after the accident as possible, because one of the reasons personal injury cases fail is because clients take too long before they become proactive about their case and sometimes these delays can come back to haunt you. So during the initial call my office staff will probably ask you some basic questions about the accident just to make sure that it's something that we can help you with and then we'll pick a date that's convenience for you and for our office to meet. So the next thing you need to do is fill out the personal injury questionnaire or the secure, online accident questionnaire. So, near the middle of the page you're going to find a secure, online accident questionnaire, and go ahead and click on that and it's going to open up a questionnaire in a new window that will walk you through all of the relevant information that I'm going to need during our initial conversation. And don't be overwhelmed by all the information, if you don't have it all, but gather as much as you can. Now, if you don't want to fill out the online form, right below that, you can click on the checklist and that will open up a checklist that you can print. Basically, the checklist will ask you for all of the relevant information including any and all photographs depicting damage to all of the vehicles involved in the accident, any and all photographs of your injuries, bruising, cuts, scrapes, those are the kinds of things that you want to be documented. It will be asking you for all of your auto insurance information, especially something called your declarations page, which shows a review of all of the insurance coverage that you have available to you on your vehicle. Also, we're going to ask you for insurance information for the other vehicle, the responsible party. If you have any property damage estimates to your vehicle, we're going to need those and if you don't have a property damage estimate, you might want to go get one sooner than later. If you've already been to some doctors or a hospital or you've received emergency treatment, or you went to urgent care, we're going to need all of the doctors and facility information for those places that you visited. In fact, if you can, call those facilities and ask them for a copy of all of your records and all of your bills from your visit post-accident. It makes life a lot easier. Also, if you've been a Medicare or Medi-Cal recipient, we're going to need your information. We also need your health insurance information. If there is a police report of any sort, we will need a copy of that and if you don't have a copy, that's all right, we can order one for you, but let us know whether or not there was a police report. Also, if there were any witnesses, we're going to want their names, addresses and phone numbers as well. Then it's time for our initial consultation where I will sit with you, review everything that you've provided to me and again, the more information you provide to me, the better I can advise you. So during this meeting I'll let you whether or not it's worth having a lawyer on your side, what your options are, what different paths you might want to take and how the case might unfold. And during that consultation you can ask any questions that you have and I'll do my very best to answer them. And then of course, the relationship may begin, if you choose to go forward. There will be absolutely no pressure for you to do one thing or another. It is a purely informational meeting and in most cases, there is no charge. Thank you very much for visiting my website. Thank you for your interest and go ahead and proceed with the steps and we'll get started in assisting you with your personal injury consultation. Thank you very much, again this Robert Monsieur and I appreciate your time in watching this video. During my initial consultation with a potential personal injury client, the fundamental question that I'm thinking about during our first conference is whether or not I can bring any VALUE to their case as their attorney. In many cases, the answer is "no." That doesn't mean I don't want to help the injured client or I won't offer them my advice....it just means that if I take the case and act as their attorney, it won't do them much good. In fact, in some cases, bringing a lawyer on board can complicate matters and result in a negative financial result for the client. Some lawyers will take almost any case if they feel they can make some money....they unfortunately do not consider whether doing so would be helpful to the client.
Here is a perfect example of how this usually happens. A client will come into my office and present me with a property damage estimate of less than $1000. Upon further inspection, we realize that less than half of that estimate is for "parts" and the rest is for "labor." Furthermore, photos show minor damage to the car and now the client comes to me expecting me to perform some kind of "magic" for them. In some cases, they fought with the adjuster and now they've come to me. Truth is, no matter what I do, the insurance company for the responsible party is going to treat their case as a "MIST" claim. MIST stands for "Minor Impact Soft Tissue." As such, insurance companies rarely offer much money on these kinds of cases unless the client's case is very unique in some way. Some insurance companies have a policy where they don't offer any more than $500 to $3000 on MIST cases, no matter what. If you have minor property damage, you're going to get a small offer. That's just the way it goes. Every so often, a jury will disagree with the insurance company, but in most cases, the insurance companies know that juries are stingy and won't give much money to the injured party either. The insurance companies are banking on the fact they are probably going to win 80% of the minor cases that go to trial. Therefore, if I can't bring any value to the case, I generally won't get involved. I tell the clients, "If I take a third of your recovery as my fee (which is a common attorney's fee), then you will be left with little to nothing after this case is done." In these cases, I generally give the clients some tips about how to resolve their case without a lawyer. Remember, if I can't bring value, then I'm reluctant to get involved. Keep in mind that all cases are different and unique, so you should take this blog post (and anything else you read on the internet) with a grain of salt. At least talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer and get some advice. That way, you can make an educated decision. In some cases, you may even want to get two opinions just to make sure. A client came to my office this week to explore her legal options after a vehicle turned left right in front of her. The accident was moderate in nature...certainly not a minor fender bender. She was walking with a stiff gait and was obviously in pain.
While we were evaluating her legal options, I also told her about the possibility of proceeding without an attorney. After all, you don't HAVE to hire a lawyer to assist you with your case. There is no law mandating that you do so. However, when I explained to her that I would be the one to deal with the insurance adjuster, and I would be the one to act as her liaison, she was very glad to hear it. She said, "I just want to go to my doctor and get better....I don't want to talk to these insurance people any more. They keep calling my house, leaving messages, asking for statements and information...." In her opinion, having a lawyer handle the case and talk to the insurance adjusters was very reassuring. She wanted to focus on her injuries...and not hassling with insurance adjusters. She hired me to handle the case, and she got an immediate return on her decision - peace of mind! In some cases, having an attorney handle your case can allow you to breathe easier, knowing that you have delegated the job to someone with experience. That way, you can focus on what's important - getting better! If you have a serious accident in the Santa Clarita area (including Valencia, Saugus, Canyon Country, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Newhall, and surrounding areas) and you'd like to discuss your legal options, call Santa Clarita personal injury attorney Robert Mansour at (661) 414-7100 for a free candid and honest evaluation of your legal options. Hi. I’m Robert Mansour. Sometimes my clients don’t know what to bring to the first consultation with the attorney. Here are some things to keep in mind. Bring any and all photographs that you have, including photographs of your vehicle, the other vehicles involved etc. All insurance information of all the vehicles involved, any and all doctor reports and billing, doctors’ names and addresses, witness information, police reports, everything related to the accident…bring it to your first meeting. It is better to be over-inclusive than to be under-inclusive. Your attorney can then give you advice from that point forward. If you’d like to discuss your personal injury case please give me a call. Thank you very much.
Don’t hide things from your attorney. For some reason, there are some clients out there who want to hide facts from their lawyer. One client wanted to hide from me the fact that she was smoking pot at the accident scene. Well, the insurance company found out because it was in her medical records from the hospital! If she had told me about this information, there may have been ways to deal with it.
Another time, a client came by for an initial consultation. I asked her about her work duties. She said, "Why do you need to know that?" Then I asked her about her past accidents. She replied, "Well, how is that important?" I knew from the get-go that this client was not the right fit for me. She was very reluctant to answer my questions. She viewed me as the enemy and wasn't forthcoming with information. I don't ask these questions because I'm nosy! I ask these questions because the information gathered helps me evaluate the case. Some clients hide previous accidents from their attorneys. In many cases, the clients make the sole determination the accident must be irrelevant and therefore they either fail to mention it or the deliberately hide it. Again, this is not going to help your lawyer prepare for your case. If you’re hiding things from your attorney, you have bigger problems. The information is going to come to light at some point. If you tell your attorney about the matter, your attorney will be better equipped to handle it. Once litigation begins, they will indeed have the right to that information and they will find out. If you go to the doctor's office for an exam, you have to tell your doctor what's going on. This isn't the time to play games. Therefore, the lesson to be learned is to not hide anything from your attorney because it simply doesn’t help anyone. The other lesson here is that sometimes, your lawyer may not be right for you. However, there are times when the client may not be a good fit for the lawyer. It's a two way street. Why You Should Not Delay Consulting a Personal Injury Attorney After a Serious Car Accident
After a significant car accident, it is usually a good idea to understand your legal options sooner rather than later. Many people hesitate to speak with a personal injury attorney because they assume that hiring a lawyer will automatically reduce the amount of money they ultimately receive. In reality, an attorney can sometimes identify issues, preserve evidence, deal with insurance companies, and help you avoid mistakes that could substantially affect the value of your claim. Another reason people delay is that they hope their injuries will simply improve with time. Sometimes they do, but other times pain or other symptoms become more apparent as the hours or days pass. If you wait to seek medical attention and then discover that your condition is not improving, the insurance company may point to the delay or gaps in treatment when evaluating your claim. Key Takeaways
Why Do People Delay Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer? Many accident victims are understandably reluctant to involve an attorney. They may believe that hiring a lawyer means immediately filing a lawsuit, creating unnecessary conflict, or giving up a substantial portion of their recovery in attorney fees. Others simply assume that the insurance company will treat them fairly and that they can handle the claim themselves. There is nothing wrong with wanting to resolve a claim efficiently and without unnecessary litigation. In fact, many personal injury claims are resolved without a trial. However, an early consultation with an experienced attorney can help you understand the potential issues in your particular case before you make decisions that could be difficult to undo later. Does Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney Mean I Have to File a Lawsuit? No. Consulting with or hiring a personal injury attorney does not necessarily mean that a lawsuit will be filed. Many personal injury claims are negotiated with the insurance company during the pre-litigation process and are resolved through a settlement without ever going to court. A lawyer can communicate with the insurance company, gather medical and accident-related evidence, evaluate the available insurance coverage, and negotiate on your behalf. If the case cannot be resolved through negotiations, your attorney can explain the advantages and disadvantages of litigation and discuss the applicable deadlines and procedures. Why Is It Important to Seek Medical Attention Promptly? Your health should be the primary reason to seek medical attention after an accident. Some injuries may not be immediately obvious, and an appropriate medical evaluation can help determine whether you need treatment or additional testing. Medical records can also become important evidence in a personal injury claim. If you wait a substantial amount of time before seeking care, an insurance adjuster may question whether the accident actually caused your symptoms. That does not necessarily mean a delayed claim is invalid, but the delay may create an additional issue that has to be explained. How Can Gaps in Treatment Affect a Personal Injury Claim? Insurance companies routinely examine the timing and continuity of medical treatment when evaluating injury claims. If someone claims to have significant ongoing pain but stops attending appointments for several weeks without an apparent explanation, the insurer may argue that the person improved during that period or that the injury was not as serious as claimed. There can be perfectly legitimate reasons for gaps in treatment. Work schedules, transportation problems, financial concerns, insurance issues, improvement in symptoms, or a doctor's recommendation may all explain why treatment was interrupted. The important point is to communicate appropriately with your healthcare providers and follow their recommendations rather than simply abandoning treatment without explanation. Is It Worth Paying an Attorney's Fee? That depends on the circumstances of the case. An attorney's involvement can add value by handling negotiations, evaluating liability and damages, identifying available insurance coverage, organizing medical evidence, dealing with liens, and pursuing litigation when appropriate. But attorney representation also involves a fee, and for a very small claim, the cost of representation may not make economic sense. This is one reason an initial consultation can be useful. An experienced attorney should be willing to explain the potential advantages and disadvantages of representation rather than simply promising that hiring a lawyer will automatically result in a larger settlement. Do People Really Recover More Money When They Hire Lawyers? There have been studies and surveys suggesting that represented claimants can receive larger recoveries than people who handle claims themselves. However, those figures should be treated cautiously because the cases handled by attorneys are often different from the cases people resolve on their own. For example, people with more serious injuries, greater damages, disputed liability, or more complicated insurance issues may be more likely to hire an attorney in the first place. Those cases may also have greater potential value. Rather than relying on a specific multiplier or percentage, consider whether the circumstances of your particular claim are complicated enough that professional assistance would provide meaningful value. What Can a Personal Injury Attorney Do for Me? A personal injury attorney can investigate the accident, evaluate potential liability, identify available insurance coverage, gather medical and property-damage evidence, communicate with insurance adjusters, and negotiate a settlement. An attorney can also help identify issues involving pre-existing conditions, medical liens, lost wages, comparative fault, and other factors that can affect the value of a claim. Perhaps equally important, an attorney can help you avoid mistakes. Statements to insurance adjusters, broad medical authorizations, incomplete medical histories, premature settlements, and improperly worded releases can sometimes create problems for an injured person's claim. Getting advice early can help you understand those issues before you inadvertently make a decision that affects your rights. What If I Am Not Sure Whether My Injuries Are Serious? You do not necessarily need to know the ultimate severity of your injuries before seeking advice. If you are experiencing significant pain, symptoms that persist or worsen, or other concerns after an accident, appropriate medical evaluation should come first. You can also consult with an attorney simply to understand your options. You are not required to decide during the first conversation that you will file a lawsuit or retain the lawyer. The purpose of an initial consultation can simply be to understand what issues may exist and what steps you should consider taking. Should I Talk to the Insurance Company Before Speaking With a Lawyer? You should be cautious about providing extensive information to the other driver's insurance company before understanding your rights. The adjuster may ask for a recorded statement, medical authorization, photographs, medical records, or other information concerning the accident and your injuries. The insurance company has a legitimate interest in investigating the claim, but it is not your advocate. Before providing a recorded statement or signing a broad medical authorization, consider having an attorney review the request, particularly if you have suffered significant injuries or the circumstances of the accident are disputed. What If I Eventually Recover Without Hiring an Attorney? There is nothing inherently wrong with handling a straightforward claim yourself if you understand the issues and are comfortable negotiating with the insurance company. Some minor injury claims can be resolved without an attorney, particularly when liability is clear, treatment is limited, and the available insurance coverage is adequate. The important thing is to make an informed decision. If your injuries are significant, your treatment is continuing, liability is disputed, the insurance company is challenging your claim, or the potential damages are substantial, obtaining legal advice early may be particularly valuable. When Should I Consult a Personal Injury Attorney? As a general matter, the sooner you understand your options, the better positioned you may be to protect your claim. You do not necessarily need to hire an attorney immediately, but a timely consultation can help you understand important issues involving medical treatment, evidence preservation, insurance communications, potential damages, and applicable deadlines. If you have been seriously injured, do not wait months hoping everything will resolve itself before finding out what your options are. A consultation can help you make an informed decision about whether you need representation and what you should be doing in the meantime. What Should I Do After a Significant Car Accident? First, address your medical needs and follow appropriate medical advice. Preserve photographs, vehicle-damage information, medical records, bills, witness information, insurance information, and other evidence relating to the accident. Then consider obtaining legal advice, particularly if you have significant injuries or if the insurance company is already disputing your claim. An initial consultation can help you understand the process and determine whether hiring an attorney makes financial and practical sense for your particular situation. Frequently Asked Questions 1. When should I contact a personal injury attorney after a car accident? If you have suffered significant injuries, substantial property damage, disputed liability, or other complications, consider consulting an attorney promptly. Early advice can help you preserve evidence and avoid mistakes when dealing with the insurance company. 2. Does consulting a personal injury lawyer mean I have to file a lawsuit? No. Many personal injury claims are resolved through negotiations with an insurance company without filing a lawsuit. A consultation can simply help you understand your options. 3. Will hiring a lawyer automatically increase my settlement? Not necessarily. A lawyer may add significant value in a complicated or substantial claim, but attorney representation is not a guarantee of a particular recovery. The value of representation depends on the facts of your case. 4. Do I need an attorney for a minor car accident? Not necessarily. A straightforward claim involving minor injuries and limited treatment may be something you can handle yourself. However, if the injuries are significant or the insurance company is disputing liability or the value of your claim, legal advice may be worthwhile. 5. Why does an insurance company care when I first saw a doctor? The insurer may use the timing of your first medical evaluation to argue about whether your injuries were caused by the accident. A significant delay does not automatically defeat a claim, but it can create a causation issue that may need to be explained. 6. Can gaps in medical treatment hurt my claim? They can. An insurance company may argue that unexplained gaps indicate that your injuries were not as serious as claimed. If treatment is interrupted for a legitimate reason, make sure the circumstances are accurately reflected in your medical records when appropriate. 7. Should I give the other driver's insurance company a recorded statement? You should be cautious before providing a recorded statement to an adverse insurance carrier. Consider speaking with an attorney first so you understand what information you are being asked to provide and how the statement may be used. 8. What if I am not sure how much my injury is worth? You generally do not need to know the value of your claim before consulting an attorney. A lawyer can evaluate the available information and explain the factors that may affect the potential value of your claim. 9. What does a personal injury attorney actually do? Depending on the case, an attorney may investigate liability, gather evidence, communicate with insurers, obtain and review medical records, evaluate damages, negotiate a settlement, address medical liens, and pursue litigation when appropriate. 10. Is a personal injury consultation usually worth having? For a significant injury claim, an initial consultation can be useful even if you ultimately decide not to hire an attorney. It gives you an opportunity to understand the claims process, potential problems, and options before making important decisions. Essential Document Checklist for Your First Personal Injury Consultation
Gathering relevant documentation before your initial personal injury consultation can help your attorney understand what happened, evaluate potential liability, identify available insurance coverage, and determine what additional evidence may be needed. You do not need to have a perfectly organized file before meeting with a lawyer. Even if some documents are missing, bringing whatever information you have—including photographs, insurance information, medical records, bills, correspondence, and accident reports—can give your attorney a useful starting point for evaluating your claim. Vehicle Property Damage and Physical Evidence Photographs, repair estimates, and other vehicle records can provide important evidence concerning the circumstances and severity of a collision. Before repairs are completed, try to preserve photographs showing the damage from multiple angles, including both close-up images of damaged areas and wider photographs showing the overall condition of the vehicle. If you have repair estimates, invoices, photographs taken by an insurance adjuster, or a total-loss evaluation, bring those materials to your consultation as well. Vehicle damage does not by itself establish the severity of a person's injuries, but physical evidence can help an attorney understand the mechanics of the collision and determine whether additional investigation may be appropriate. If the vehicle has sustained significant structural damage, preserve documentation describing that damage, including information concerning the frame, suspension, airbags, or other major components. If the vehicle has been declared a total loss, the insurer's valuation and damage documentation may also be useful. Do not delay necessary repairs solely to preserve evidence, but if the extent of the damage or the mechanics of the collision may become disputed, discuss evidence-preservation issues with your attorney before disposing of the vehicle or making substantial repairs whenever reasonably possible. Auto Insurance Policies and Coverage Declarations Bring copies of your auto insurance policy and declarations page, along with whatever insurance information you have for the other driver. The declarations page can help your attorney identify applicable liability limits and first-party coverages, including Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay) and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. These coverages can become particularly important when the other driver has limited insurance, no insurance, or when your accident-related expenses and damages exceed the available liability coverage. If you have information about the other driver's insurance company, provide the insurer's name, policy number, claim number, adjuster's name, telephone number, email address, and any correspondence you have received. Also bring letters, emails, text messages, settlement offers, recorded-statement requests, or other communications from either insurance company. Do not worry if you do not have every piece of insurance information. Your attorney can often obtain additional information as the claim develops, but the documents you already possess can help establish what has been reported and what coverage may be available. Medical Records, Bills, and Treatment Information Bring information about all medical treatment you have received since the accident, including emergency care, hospital treatment, physician visits, diagnostic testing, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, and other accident-related care. A simple list of providers and treatment dates can be extremely helpful if you do not yet have complete medical records. Include the names and locations of the providers, approximate dates of treatment, the body parts or symptoms being treated, and any outstanding medical bills you have received. Your attorney will generally want to understand the chronology of your treatment—what you experienced immediately after the collision, when you first sought medical care, what diagnoses were made, what treatment was recommended, and how your condition has changed over time. Be candid about both your accident-related injuries and any relevant prior medical conditions. A prior injury or medical condition does not necessarily prevent you from recovering compensation, but your attorney needs accurate information about your medical history to evaluate causation and determine how the accident may have changed your condition. Health Insurance and Government Benefits Bring information concerning your health insurance and any Medicare or Medi-Cal coverage you have. Your health insurance information may help your attorney understand how accident-related medical treatment has been paid and whether there are reimbursement or subrogation issues that may need to be addressed when the claim resolves. If Medicare or Medi-Cal has paid for treatment related to the accident, additional reimbursement considerations may apply, so providing this information early can help prevent surprises later in the settlement process. You should not assume that a government benefit program or health insurer will automatically take the entire amount of its billed charges from your settlement. The amount that may ultimately need to be reimbursed can depend on the applicable law, the circumstances of the claim, and negotiations concerning the amount owed. The important point is to disclose the coverage and preserve the relevant correspondence and payment information so that potential reimbursement claims can be identified and addressed appropriately. Traffic Collision Reports and Law Enforcement Information Bring any police report, traffic collision report, report card, face sheet, or report number you received after the accident. Depending on where the collision occurred, the responding agency may have been the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, or another local law enforcement agency. Even if you do not have the complete report, a report number or information provided by the officer at the scene can help your attorney identify the agency that handled the collision and determine how to obtain the available records. If no police report was prepared, that does not necessarily prevent you from pursuing a personal injury claim. Photographs, witness statements, medical records, vehicle evidence, insurance records, dashcam footage, and other documentation may still establish important facts concerning the accident. Tell your attorney what happened regarding law enforcement, including whether officers responded, whether you were given a report number, and whether you received any citation or other documentation. Witness Information and Accident Evidence Bring the names and contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident or its immediate aftermath. Independent witnesses can sometimes provide valuable information concerning traffic signals, vehicle movements, lane positions, roadway conditions, or other facts that may be disputed later. If you have photographs or video showing the scene, traffic conditions, vehicle positions, or the other driver, preserve those materials in their original form whenever possible. Also provide information about any dashcam footage, nearby surveillance cameras, photographs taken by passengers, or other potential sources of video evidence. Surveillance footage may not remain available indefinitely, so tell your attorney about potentially relevant cameras even if you do not know whether the footage still exists. Your attorney can then determine whether additional steps should be taken to try to preserve or obtain the evidence. Employment and Lost-Wage Documentation If your injuries caused you to miss work or affected your ability to earn income, bring documentation showing the financial impact. This may include recent pay stubs, W-2 forms, tax returns, employment records, time sheets, disability documentation, or correspondence from your employer confirming the dates and extent of your absence. If you are self-employed or own a business, relevant documentation may include tax returns, profit-and-loss statements, business records, and other information showing how the accident affected your income. You do not need to determine the value of your lost earnings before meeting with an attorney. Instead, provide the underlying records that demonstrate what you were earning before the accident and what changed afterward. If the injury may affect your future ability to work or earn income, tell your attorney about those concerns as well. Additional vocational, medical, or financial analysis may be appropriate depending on the nature and severity of the injury. Insurance Correspondence and Settlement Offers Bring every significant communication you have received from an insurance company. This includes letters, emails, text messages, claim forms, requests for recorded statements, medical authorization forms, settlement offers, property-damage correspondence, and explanations of coverage. Even communications that seem routine can help your attorney understand how the insurance company has evaluated the claim and what issues it may already be raising. In particular, bring any settlement offer you have received and do not assume that an early offer represents the full value of your claim. Before accepting a settlement or signing a release, it is important to understand the extent of your injuries, outstanding medical expenses, applicable insurance coverage, and the consequences of releasing your claims. Once a settlement agreement and release are executed, pursuing additional compensation may become difficult or impossible. A Simple Timeline of What Happened One of the most useful things you can bring to your first consultation is a simple chronology of the accident and everything that happened afterward. Write down the date, approximate time, and location of the collision; what you remember about how the accident occurred; when you first noticed symptoms; when you sought medical treatment; the providers you saw; how much work you missed; and any significant developments since the accident. Your timeline does not need to be a formal legal document. Its purpose is simply to help you remember important details and give your attorney a chronological framework for investigating the claim. As time passes, small details can become difficult to remember, particularly when there are numerous medical appointments and insurance communications. A contemporaneous timeline can therefore be useful even if some details later need to be corrected or supplemented. What If I Don't Have All of These Documents? Do not postpone a legal consultation simply because you are missing some of the documents on this checklist. Many accident victims will not have complete medical records, the full police report, the other driver's insurance policy, or all of the necessary employment documentation when they first meet with an attorney. Your attorney can help identify what is missing and determine which records should be obtained. The most important thing is to bring what you do have and be honest about what you do not have. Providing incomplete information is much less problematic than guessing, exaggerating, or attempting to fill gaps with information you are not certain about. Your attorney can investigate the missing pieces after understanding the basic circumstances of your accident and injuries. Frequently Asked Questions What should I bring to my first personal injury consultation? Bring whatever documentation you have concerning the accident, including photographs, insurance information, police or collision reports, medical bills and records, witness information, vehicle repair estimates, employment records, and correspondence from insurance companies. You do not need to have every document before meeting with an attorney; the purpose of the initial consultation is also to identify what additional information may be needed. Why does my attorney need my auto insurance declarations page? The declarations page can help identify the insurance coverage available under your own policy, including Medical Payments Coverage and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage. Those coverages can become important when the other driver's insurance is unavailable or insufficient to cover your damages. What if I only have the police report card or report number? Bring it to your attorney. The report number, agency name, and other information provided at the scene may allow your attorney to identify and obtain the applicable collision report and related records. Should I bring my medical bills to my consultation? Yes. Bring any medical bills, statements, explanation-of-benefits documents, or other treatment-related financial records you have received. Also provide a list of every medical provider you have seen, even if you do not yet have complete records from that provider. Should I tell my attorney about medical treatment I received before the accident? Yes. Be completely candid about relevant prior injuries, conditions, and treatment. A pre-existing condition does not necessarily prevent recovery, and knowing your medical history allows your attorney to evaluate how the accident may have caused a new injury or aggravated a prior condition. What if I missed work because of my injuries? Bring documentation showing the time you missed and the income you lost, such as pay stubs, employer records, tax documents, or other evidence of your earnings. If you are self-employed, bring whatever business and financial records are available to show the effect the accident had on your income. Do I need to calculate my damages before meeting with a lawyer? No. You do not need to determine the value of your claim before your consultation. Your attorney can evaluate medical expenses, lost income, property damage, insurance coverage, and other potential damages after reviewing the available evidence. What if the insurance company already made me a settlement offer? Bring the offer and all related correspondence to your consultation. Do not assume that an early settlement offer represents the full value of your claim, particularly if you are still receiving medical treatment or the extent of your future medical needs has not yet been established. What if I don't have health insurance? Tell your attorney. There may be different ways to obtain and pay for necessary medical care depending on the circumstances, including medical liens, Medical Payments Coverage, or other available resources. Your attorney can explain the potential advantages and risks of the options applicable to your situation. What is the most important thing to bring to a personal injury consultation? Bring the information you have, preserve the evidence you can preserve, and be completely honest with your attorney. A lawyer does not need a perfectly assembled case file at the first meeting. What is most valuable is a clear account of what happened, accurate information about your injuries and medical history, and whatever documentation you have concerning the accident, insurance coverage, medical treatment, employment, and damages. |
Attorney Robert MansourRobert Mansour (CA State Bar #169118) is an attorney in Santa Clarita, California who has been practicing law since 1993. After working 13 years for a major insurance company, he now counsels victims of personal injury. Click here to learn more about Robert Mansour. Categories
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