Car accidents — Initial injury lawyer meeting — Questions about your injuries

Your personal injury lawyer will need to learn a lot of things about your lawsuit and will ask you a lot of questions when you first meet.

Some of those questions will be about your injuries from the car accident, and they may include some of the following things.

Your immediate experience

What was your medical condition immediately after the car accident?
What part of your body was injured?
Were you bleeding?
Were there any visible deformities?
Did you lose consciousness?
Did any immediate family member see you get hurt? If so, where was that person?

Your first medical attention

What was your initial medical attention?
Was any aid rendered by anyone at the scene?
Who rendered aid at the scene?
What did they do?
Did they help you up or move you in any manner?
Were you given anything for pain or to drink?
Did anyone remove you from the scene?
If so, where did they move you?
How did you leave the scene?

The ambulance

Did an ambulance come to the scene? If so, who summoned it?
Did the medical personnel render any first aid?
Were you immobilized or splinted?
Was an I.V. started?
Did you refuse aid at the scene? If so, why?
Were you transported from the scene?
Where were you taken?
Was any treatment given on route?

The hospital or emergency room

Did you go to a hospital emergency room?
What hospital did you go to?
If not by ambulance, how did you get there?
When did you go?
If there was a delay, why? What did you do in the interim?
What history did you give in the emergency room?
What type of exam were you given?
What treatments were given to you at the emergency room?
Were you given any follow up instructions?
Did you receive a bill for the emergency room services?
How much was the bill?
Who paid the bill?

Were you admitted to any hospital?
What hospital were you admitted to?
When were you admitted?
How long did you remain?
Who was your primary treating doctor?
What treatment was rendered during your stay?
Did you have any special tests?
Were you given any therapy?
Were you given any follow up instructions?
Did you receive a bill for the services?
How much was the bill?
Who paid the bill?

Was there any follow-up care at the Outpatient Department or Clinic?
Where did you return?
How often did you return?
What was done when you returned?
Did you receive a bill for the services?
How much was the bill?
Who paid the bill?

Treating physicians

Was your follow-up care provided by a private or clinic doctor?
Who was the first doctor you saw?
Who referred you to the doctor?
What was the date of your first visit?
What were your complaints at the time?
What tests or exams were performed?
What treatment did you receive?
Were you referred to any specialists?
Did you see any other primary treating doctors?

Were you referred for special tests?
Who referred you for the tests? What were the tests?
What were the dates, doctors and results?
What was the cost of the tests?
Who paid for the special tests?

Medical specialists

Were you treated by any medical specialists?
What doctors did you see?
What were their specialties?
When did you see them?
What did they do?
What was the cost of the specialists?
Who paid for the visits to the specialists?

Were you treated by any therapists?
What therapists did you see?
When did you see them?
What did they do?
What was the cost of the therapy?
Who paid for the therapy?

Prosthetics, crutches or aids

Did you use a wheelchair, crutches or walker?
Did you use a cane, collar, braces or corsets?
How long did you use each?
What was the cost of the item?
Who paid for the item?
Is it available to use as an exhibit at trial?

Medical expenses

What is the total for the emergency room?
What is the cost for the ambulance?
What is the cost for hospital stays?
What is the cost for doctors?
What is the cost for special tests?
What is the cost for medications?
Who paid these costs?
Will there be costs in the future?
Are receipts available?

Nursing services

Were any nursing services required?
On what dates were the services required?
Who provided them?
How much did they cost?
Who paid for the services?
Are there any receipts available?

Lost wages or income

Have you lost wages or income?
How much time was lost?
Have you lost benefits?
Will there be losses in the future?
Has your ability to advance been compromised?

Transportation costs

Was transportation to the doctor needed?
Was transportation to the therapists needed?
Who provided the transportation?
On what dates was it needed?
How much did the transportation cost?
Who paid for the services?
Are any receipts available?

Domestic help

Did you require a housekeeper?
On what dates were the services required?
Was any baby-sitting care required?
Who provided the services?
Who paid for the services?
How much did they cost?
Are any receipts available?

Property damage

Was your car damaged?
Do you have collision coverage?
Are pictures of the car available?
Is there an estimate for repair of the damages?
Is there a paid repair bill?
Were any items of personal property damaged?