A free consultation regarding a personal injury matter necessarily begins with an inquiry from the potential client. In the context of a personal injury case, this almost invariably is a contact from the injured person, or a close friend or family member of the injured person.
The Process
In many instances, the consultation process starts with a simple phone call to the attorney or personal injury law firm. There is no specific requirement that the process starts with a phone call. Indeed, many attorneys, personal injury, and otherwise employ a contact form or application on their website that will allow the inquirer to provide contact information, as well as a description of the legal problem for which they seek consultation. In many instances, the inquirer can also attach or otherwise forward documents, video, photographs, or other materials they wish their attorney to review and comment upon.
In some instances, the inquirer might be the person at fault or allegedly at fault for causing the accident, and in this situation, some different considerations apply. Such an inquirer should initially contact their own insurance company, who would typically provide counsel in any subsequent claim. If such an inquirer lacks insurance, then they should indeed call one or more personal injury attorneys for purposes of defending the claim, rather than pursuing a claim for personal injury.
An Invaluable Source Of Guidance
The “next steps” question is one that many, if not most, personal injury lawyers field on a daily basis. This scenario is this: A person has sustained personal injury. There is, of course, a period of initial disorientation, shock, bewilderment, or disbelief. Once the shaken individual’s head has cleared somewhat, there is typically a flurry of mental activity resulting from the surge of adrenaline following the injury-causing event. Once the excitement of the event starts to wane, the rational side of the individual’s brain assumes more prominence and begins to assess and analyze what has happened and importantly, what should happen going forward. It is with respect to this latter question that a skilled and experienced, personal injury attorney can provide invaluable guidance.
What Must Happen Next?
Presumably, the injured inquirer has no clue as to those important “next steps”. What should happen next, but most importantly, what must happen next? For the injured individual who may have never experienced being involved in a motor vehicle accident and might not have had the benefit of having a close friend or a family member to traverse the uncertain waters of the personal injury claim, such an experience, and the prospects of coping with it alone, can seem frightening, daunting, and potentially overwhelming. In the scenario of a significant motor vehicle accident involving bodily injury to one or more of the occupants of the vehicle, an experienced personal injury attorney will offer commonplace advice.
Medical Attention
If there is or has been a bodily injury, it is important to seek medical attention promptly. This is practical no-nonsense advice with real-world applications. If you’re hurt, there is no advice other than have it looked at by a doctor, as a practical matter. Many people choose to “give it a day or two” to see how it does. Personal injury lawyers see everyday insurance companies begin to contend that if the person has not gotten medical care, they must not have been hurt. The upshot is that the practical and really inescapable advice, seek medical care if you’re hurt, is also necessary because of the more pragmatic notion that a delay in seeking medical attendance will impact one’s claim for personal injury.
