Recommendations for Injured Individuals....

TALK TO NO ONE. Do not talk to anyone about your case or the facts except your lawyer or his or her investigators. You should always require identification. Don't even talk to your own insurance company or to any lawyers hired by your own insurance company without notifying us so that we may be present if we desire. Give no statements and sign no papers. If you should receive a form pertaining to this matter, do not complete it but mail it to us right away. Do not discuss your case publicly even with friends, co-workers or associates. Caution: Do not try to contact the defendant or any members of the defendant's family or any one connected to the defendant.
YOUR DOCTOR. You should return to each of your doctors as often as necessary and should always tell them about all your complaints. You should not minimize your ailments to your doctors as it is one of their best ways of knowing how to treat you. However, don't exaggerate either. If you see any additional doctors, be sure we are advised immediately of their names and addresses.
RECORD OF COMPLAINTS. Please keep some record (e.g. a calendar) of your experiences of pain and be sure to note the frequency, severity and duration of your pain and how your injuries and recovery process progress. Also, be sure to note the things that you cannot do as a result of your painful, limiting condition. This can include things you used to enjoy doing, but now cannot do without suffering pain, as well as tasks or chorese that you feel badly you cannot perform because now someone else has to be burdened by doing them for you. This can be very helpful when, a year or so later, you are asked questions.
WAGES AND EARNINGS LOST. Please keep an accurate record of all days lost from work because of your injuries. One of the major things in your case may be the loss of income or potential income. We will need a copy of your union contract, if applicable, which shows wage rates. We will also need copies of your W-2 forms, and your income tax returns for at least the last five years. Please obtain from your employer the exact days you missed from work because of your injuries and the amount of money you would have made if you would have been working these days. If this injury has prevented you from being advanced in your employment or has prevented you from obtaining employment, please give us the names, addresses and telephone numbers of witnesses who may prove this for you. We would also like to know in detail what services you have been prevented from performing around the house, such as supervision of the children, and all the other services performed either by a husband or a wife.
MEDICAL BILLS. Obtain and keep duplicate copies of all medical, hospital and drug bills. You should periodically send these bills to us for our files. Also keep records of any other expenses you may have in connection with your accident such as the hiring of extra help. All your bills should be paid by check or you should obtain and keep receipts. You should make and keep current an up-to-date list of all your bills and costs.
CAR REPAIR. If your case is one involving an automobile collision, do not have your automobile repaired until you check with us so we may obtain pictures of it. After pictures are taken by this office have your collision insurance carrier repair your car.
TRAFFIC OFFENSES. Never plead guilty to any traffic offenses and if you are arrested in connection with this collision, call one of the lawyers in the office immediately and we will see that someone represents or advises you. In the event of any type of hearing be sure to notify this office so that we will be able to prepare you for formal questioning and represent you in connection with this hearing.
WITNESSES. Furnish to us immediately the correct names and addresses and telephone numbers of any and all witnesses. Besides witnesses to the incident itself, we will need friends, co-workers, etc., who can testify as to how this injury has affected your life. Contact those people and provide us their names, addresses, phone numbers, and have them describe in detail what they have observed. For example, your neighbor could tell about how you are not able to work as much around the house, or your friends could tell how you don't bowl now. It is all right if they are your friends or relatives, because they would be more likely to have observed you. Please paint word pictures and give details and descriptions of specific instances.
SAVE ALL PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. Keep everything pertaining to your incident such as the clothing you were wearing at the time, your eye glasses, or the product that injured you. If your injury requires a cast, brace, traction or other appliance, save it for evidence and trial. You should notify us that you are keeping these things and when the case is set for hearing you should bring these items with you.
PHOTOGRAPHS. Send us the prints of any photographs pertaining to your case which you or any of your friends have taken. If you are required to be in the hospital and are receiving any type of treatment like traction or physical therapy, please notify our office so that we can decide whether or not to have photographs taken of your treatments.
HOSPITAL AND DOCTOR BILLS. First, have your health insurance carrier and/or hospitalization insurance carrier pay as many hospital and doctor bills as possible. Reserve the insurance coverage available under the Medical Payment provisions of applicable auto policies until after your health insurance carrier has paid all bills for which it provides coverage. Generally, doctors and hospitals are more cooperative when their bills are paid. You should not expect them to wait until your case is tried or settled to receive payment. You should speak to your lawyer before paying any balances left over after your health insurance has been applied initially to pay hospital and doctor bills.
KEEP COPIES. When you send us records, bills or other documents, keep a copy for your own records.
QUESTIONS. We will not usually contact you until we have something definite to report. We will be contacting you for depositions, answers to interrogatories, when your case goes to trial, which may be in excess of two years from the time that suit is filed and for other important developments in your case. However, you are encouraged to contact our office at any time if you have any specific questions or input regarding your important legal matter. We will then have a record of our communication with you. Although we are hard at work representing our clients, we welcome our clients' questions and input, so please feel free to call us any time.
YOUR STATUS. Be sure to keep us advised of any change in your address or telephone number. Write to us also if you return to work, if your marital status changes, or if you see a new doctor. Always ensure our office has the name and contact information for a person who knows how and where to reach you upon short notice.

The above is not legal advice. That can only come from a qualified attorney who is familiar with all the facts and circumstances of a particular, specific case and the relevant law. See Terms of Use.