Important Instructions for Potential Plaintiffs: Filing a Personal Injury Claim

(Click here for a printable copy of these instructions.)

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
1. TALK TO NO ONE - Please do not talk to anyone outside of your family about your personal injury claim / case, unless one of the injury lawyers or investigators from our office is present. You should always require identification so that you are sure to whom you are talking. DO NOT talk to your insurance company, railroad claim agent, company representative, or any type of agent, attorney or investigator without first notifying our office so we can have these statements taken with one of our injury lawyers or investigators present. If you have already given a statement of any kind, call us NOW!
2. YOUR DOCTOR - You should return to each of your doctors as often as they feel it is necessary. You should always report each of your symptoms to them. Do not minimize your ailments to your doctors; doctors must know these things in order to treat you properly. If you plan to see any additional doctors, please advise us before you see them and tell us their names and addresses.
3. RECORDS -Please keep accurate and detailed records of the following:
1. Lost time and wages or income of any sort;
2. Hospital, doctor, drug and other medical bills;
3. Other losses directly resulting from your injury;
4. Notes or a diary reflecting the effect of your injury on your daily life (you only need to make entries once every week); and
5. Any insurance policy that might afford you coverage or protection.
4. WITNESSES - IMMEDIATELY furnish us with the correct name, addresses, and telephone numbers of any and all witnesses you may learn of. This includes people who know how your injury has affected you (such as friends, family, neighbors, fellow workers, or employees).
5. EVIDENCE - Please get and give to us or tell us about any photographs pertaining to your case that were taken by you or any of your friends. If you are required to be in the hospital and are receiving a treatment like traction or physical therapy, please notify our office so that we can have you photographed by our investigator or one of the members of your family. If your injury requires a cast, a brace, traction, or any other appliance, save it for evidence in trial. You should notify us that you are keeping these items, and bring these items with you when the case is set for hearing.
   
   We will contact your insurance carrier or company for copies of all their photographs and investigations in your case.
   
   Please talk to us about any evidence you have or know of that may help us! Save any physical evidence and discuss it with your injury lawyer or investigator.
6. HOSPITAL AND DOCTOR BILLS - Have your own insurance carrier pay as many hospital and doctor bills as possible. You should also have your medical insurance, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield, pay as much of your bills as possible. Doctors and Hospitals are more cooperative when their bills are paid. You should not expect them to wait to receive payment until after your case is tried or settled. You should therefore pay any balance as soon as possible. If any bill remains unpaid, please call us. We will try to get your creditors to hold off until the case is concluded. If you do not call us until they have hired a lawyer or started collection procedures, it may be too late for us to help.
7. YOUR ADDRESS - Be sure to keep us advised of any change in your address or telephone number.


The following pertains to accidents involving an automobile, truck, boat, airplane, farm implement, piece of machinery, household item or other object.

8. REPAIRS -Do not have anything that was involved in your accident (your automobile, boat, airplane, farm implement, piece of machinery, household item, or other object) repaired until we have had time to examine it, have it examined by an expert or impounded as we feel necessary to preserve the evidence for your case. If your case involves a product or instrument not in your control, please try to see that it is not repaired or disposed of until we have photographed it and, if necessary, had it examined by an expert.
9. OFFENSES, FINES, OR DISCIPLINARY ACTION - Do not appear or give statements before a traffic court, a coroner's inquest, a Federal Aviation Agency investigation board, a railroad investigation agency, a union investigation agency, a maritime investigation agency, or any other type of disciplinary board, panel or other proceedings without first notifying this office so that we might have one of our injury lawyers accompany and represent you at such a hearing. We take this precaution to ensure that you do not prejudice yourself in the action in which we represent you.

If you wish to speak to a personal injury lawyer, please call (866) 375-2529.