There are a lot of moving parts involved in an accident case. As your attorney, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to track down all of the required documents, such as police and accident reports, camera footage, police footage, video recordings, photos, medical bills and records, health insurance, and more.
Because of this, accident cases can take a long time to reach a settlement. What is important to realize is that participating in the process can exponentially increase the speed of the case. You may be asking how you can help an attorney with your case – well here are some great tips to help you zip through your accident case with ease.
1.) SEND YOUR POLICE OR ACCIDENT REPORT
Sometimes getting a police or accident report can be done instantly, and sometimes it can take months. This document is the single most important document of the case – it details the events of the accident, giving the case a base to start from.
For example, if you were in a hit and run accident, and did not call the police, it would be nearly impossible to prove that your injuries were due to the accident. It would be impossible to even prove you were IN an accident. The more references you have, the better your chances of success. So if you have a copy of the police report, a police report number, or even contact information of a witness of the accident, providing it to your attorney immediately will speed the process along.
2.) GIVE UPDATES ON TREATMENT REGULARLY, AND SEND BILLS AND RECORDS IMMEDIATELY!
If you are seeking out treatment at one facility, there really is no need to contact your attorney until you are done with the treatment. However if your doctor refers you to another physician or recommends that you start receiving more significant treatment, you should contact your attorney immediately. Similarly, if your doctor sends you home with a bill or medical record – send it to your attorney. This is crucial information for your case and makes the process of getting the full medical records and bills significantly easier and more precise.
Your attorney cannot (and should NEVER) give medical advice – as it is not their field of expertise. Your attorney can be a great source of specific medical providers, facilities, and doctors, but they should never tell you what type of treatment to receive. That being said – if your current doctor were to recommend surgery, that is a BIG detail that needs to be included in the case and should be included in your compensation.
3.) PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE AND MEDICARE/MEDICAID INFORMATION
Health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid are all used in accident cases as well. Not only will these services help you financially while you are going through your case, anything that they pay is included in the compensation, rather than being owed by you.
Letting your attorney know exactly which health insurance carrier(s) you have is crucial because as your attorney, we have to reach out to ALL involved parties. One of the most time-consuming processes of a case is contacting health insurance, and working with them when the case settles. If you can send your attorney all health insurance cards, and information you have, it will make settlement a breeze. Just send a copy of your health insurance cards to your attorney via email, fax, text, mail, or whatever other methods your attorney has available.
4.) PARTICIPATE
There may be moments in the case where your attorney needs you to send a copy of a document. If your attorney is asking for it, send it ASAP. Many times the case is completely halted during this time. We are even able to make special arrangements to pick documents up under certain circumstances.
If your attorney contacts you for any documents, appointments, or anything else, do your best to be available. Many things are flexible and can be arranged to work with your schedule, so feel free to let your attorney know the best time to schedule appointments and meetings.
5.) COMMUNICATE REGULARLY
We at the Fry | Goehring make it a point to reach out to our clients regularly. There will be times of silence when certain processes are going on, but we make an effort to update our clients every step of the way.If you ever have any questions or concerns about your case, you can always contact the office to speak to your case manager as well. It is our duty to be a resource to our clients, so take advantage of that!
