#2 Does my patient need a personal injury attorney if they’ve been in a car accident?
QUESTION: Does my patient need to hire an attorney if they’ve been injured in a car accident?
ANSWER: Even if your patient has been injured in a car accident, they don’t necessarily need to hire a personal injury attorney — but taking advantage of the no-fee, no-obligation initial consultation lawyers offer can be very helpful. During their meeting, the attorney will ask your patient a variety of questions about the accident and their injuries. They will explain the personal injury claims process and dos and don’ts to help your patient protect themselves and their claim when they’re communicating with the insurance company. They will also answer your patient’s questions and provide an evaluation of their claim so that your patient is informed and in the best possible position to make the right position for themself and for their claim.
Does my patient need to hire an attorney if they’ve been in a car accident?
That’s a question we get often from healthcare professionals and potential clients. Sixty percent of the folks we talk to who’ve been injured in an auto accident, do not need a lawyer to represent them. This is true for most personal injury attorneys, which is why we offer a no-fee, no-obligation initial consultation for anyone who’s been in an accident.
Even if your patient doesn’t need to hire a lawyer, it will be a tremendous benefit to them to have a consultation with an experienced attorney.
During our first conversation with someone who has been in a collision, we’ll ask a number of questions to help us understand the details surrounding the accident and information about their injuries and medical history. This will help us evaluate and determine whether it’s in your patient’s best interest to have an attorney representing them. If there is no economic benefit for them, we’ll let them know straight away.
If we don’t represent your patient, we will still take the time during the consultation to advise them on how to protect their rights and their personal injury claim.
We’ll cover topics like:
- Should they sign a medical records authorization from the other person‘s insurance company
- Should they settle their claim before they’re done with their treatment
- How much their personal injury claim is worth
- What they should do specifically to protect themself and their claim
These are the types of information we typically answer during an initial consultation. If it is in your patient’s best interest for us to represent them, we will guide them through the personal injury process — advising them each step along the way, and advocate for their rights.
When it comes to talking with your patient about consulting with an attorney, we suggest coming up with several different ways to approach the conversation and making the recommendation. It’s important to find the ways you’re comfortable with and that work best for you.
Some of the approaches we’ve heard from other providers that work well are:
- You may or may not need an attorney to represent you, but the information you’ll receive during an initial consultation with an attorney will provide really helpful information about how to navigate the personal injury claim process.
- When my patients talk to an experienced attorney about their accident, injuries, and personal injury claims, they’re really glad they did.
- If they’re hesitant to talk to an attorney, you can ask them in an open and non-judgemental manner what their concerns are about having a conversation with an attorney. Often, simply opening up the dialog will help set your patient’s concerns at ease.
If you have questions about a patient’s concerns or claim, we’re happy to talk with you. We want your patients to get the information they need to protect themself and make the best possible decisions about their claim.
We’re here to be a bridge of support for you and your patients.
We have developed a robust library of information for your patients who have been injured in an accident, which can be found in the INJURED? START HERE portal on our website.
There are 40 topic-focused articles, with accompanying videos, organized into the four categories that include the personal injury claim-related questions we’re asked most often, which include:
- Top 10 Personal Injury Claim Mistakes to Avoid
- What You Need to Know About Your Claim
- How Are My Medical Bills & Wage Loss Paid
- How to Prepare for Your Independent Medical Exam
Each article provides advice and guidelines to help your patients navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent your patient or not, we are passionate about them knowing how to protect their rights, get the medical care they need, and avoid the mistakes that can harm their personal injury claim.
Each article provides advice and guidelines to help your patients navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent your patient or not, we are passionate about them knowing how to protect their rights, get the medical care they need, and avoid the mistakes that can harm their personal injury claim.
Additionally, if it would be helpful to have the information we feature on our website available in your office to pass along to your patients, we’ve developed brochures for each of the four article series -- in both English and Spanish that we’re happy to send to your office. Please complete the form below and we’ll get them out to you promptly.
