I recently asked my car accident paralegal to give me a list of things she wishes every client could have or know when they come to the office for their first meeting.  The list was too long to mention here.  So, here are the top 5 things she wants you to know…in her unedited words: 

1. I like to have a copy of the client’s health insurance card.  I want them to present it to any provider they see for treatment relating to the accident.  The benefits would be that the bill would not sit and go to collections and at the time of settlement, they only have to reimburse the health insurance which pays a discounted rate which in turn puts more money in our client’s pocket.
2. I also like to have a copy of our client’s auto insurance card.  That way I can see if medical payments coverage is available.  If so, we would collect it for the client (w/o a fee) and provide that money to them to cover co pays, deductibles and any other outstanding balances after health insurance paid.
3. It is always nice when a client writes down (or knows) all the providers and/or facilities they treated with.  When they do not know or remember, it takes longer to get the medical records and bills because we end up playing a guessing game.
4. Prior injuries are a big deal.  I need to know if they suffered from any injuries prior to this accident for the same body parts.  If so, how did the body part get injured, where did they treat, approximately when did they treat, and if they fully recovered.   
5. I know this may seem silly but it is nice to know which police department arrived at the scene to do the report.  That saves me time from calling different departments (county/state) to see who wrote the report. 
6. Last, photos.  If you are injured, take photos of your injuries.   This will provide the adjuster with a visual aid regarding your injuries and possibly help them understand your complaints of injury.  Photos of your car or the car you were riding in at the time of the accident also help.

 My senior paralegal, Shana, knows just about all there is to know about car accidents.  She has helped me resolve dozens of cases this year.  If you want great representation from an experienced, successful trial team, then call our office at 1-800- 421-0960 or 618-254-0055.  We look forward to helping you.