What to Expect During a Personal Injury Intake after an Accident

Being injured in a car accident or other motor vehicle accident is a traumatic experience, even when the crash is minor. If you’ve been seriously injured, you’re likely also dealing with the stress of lost work time, financial pressure, and managing your injuries. With all that going on, connecting with a Jacksonville personal injury lawyer may feel overwhelming.

At Harrell & Harrell, we know the kind of pressure people are under after an injury. We also know how important it is for you to get experienced representation right away. Hiring the right personal injury attorney in Jacksonville means you can hand off many stressful tasks and protect your personal injury claim.

The personal injury intake process is straightforward and stress-free. But we know it can be daunting when you don’t know what to expect. Here’s everything you need to know about personal injury legal intake at our firm.

What is a Legal Intake?

Legal intake is the very first step in the process of hiring a personal injury lawyer. This is where our team gathers information from you to help determine whether and how we can help you pursue compensation for your injuries.

How you’ll connect with the intake team depends on the path you choose. You can get started by:

• Calling our office at (904) 251-1111
• Submitting a form through our website
• Texting us at (904) 251-1111
• Walking into one of our Jacksonville offices

Our offices are located at:

4735 Sunbeam Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32257

AND

7045 Blanding Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32244

When Should I Contact a Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer?

Generally, it’s best to contact an attorney as soon as possible after an injury. Talking to the insurance company on your own can be risky. There’s no reason to try to sort out your rights on your own.

Not sure whether you have a case?

That’s no problem. There’s no charge for talking to our intake team, and there’s no obligation. If you don’t know what to do next, our experience may be just what you need.

Will It Cost Anything to Speak With Harrell & Harrell?

Speaking with our team about your case is 100% free, and there is absolutely no obligation to move forward.

We offer free initial case evaluations so you can learn about your legal rights and options without any financial risk. Additionally, we work on a contingency fee basis—meaning you pay no out-of-pocket costs or upfront fees. We only get paid if we successfully secure compensation for you.

What Happens During the Intake Process?

Of course, every case is different. Depending on the information you provide in response to the initial questions, you may be asked for additional information. Don’t worry! The more information we can gather, the better, but you can also send us additional information later.

The intake process generally begins with some high-level questions such as:

• Whether you are calling for yourself or someone else
• Your contact information
• What type of accident you are calling about
• When and where the injury occurred

Then, you’ll be asked more specific questions based on the type of case.

Car Accident Injury Intake Questions

If you were injured in a car accident, you will likely be asked questions such as:

• How the accident happened
• Whether the police were called and whether there is a police report
• Whether you or anyone involved received a citation
• The nature of your injuries
• Whether you have received medical treatment
• The year, make and model of your vehicle
• Information about your insurance
• Information about the other driver’s insurance if you have it

Intake Questions for Other Types of Personal Injury Cases

Some typical questions for other types of personal injury cases are listed below. Again, these aren’t complete lists. If you have this information available, you should gather it before we talk. Feel free to check out our guide on what to bring to an initial consultation to help prepare. But if you don’t have all of the information, we will take what you have and work from there.

If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, we may ask:

• Where the fall happened
• How the fall happened
• What caused the fall
• What type of footwear you were wearing
• Whether you have photos or video of the accident scene

If you believe you were the victim of medical malpractice, we may ask:

• Why you originally sought medical treatment
• What medical facility or provider you believe was negligent
• What happened during the treatment
• Why you believe the treatment may have been negligent
• When the incident occurred

If you believe you or a loved one has been injured through nursing home abuse or neglect, we may ask:

• The resident’s medical condition
• Whether the resident is mobile or bedridden
• What happened to cause your concern
• What injuries or harm was sustained
• Whether a family member has power of attorney

If you want to pursue a wrongful death claim, we may ask:

• The cause of death
• Whether you have or have access to the death certificate
• Whether an autopsy was performed
• Your relationship to the deceased
• The deceased person’s marital status
• Whether the deceased had children and their ages

If you are pursuing a workers’ compensation claim or appealing a Social Security disability denial, these matters are exclusively handled through our Blanding office. We will need information such as:

• The nature of the illness, injury or disability
• When and how it occurred
• Whether you are currently receiving treatment
• Whether you are currently employed

What Happens after Intake?

In many cases, we can move forward quickly after intake–often within minutes.

What happens next depends on whether we believe Harrell & Harrell is the right solution for you. After the initial intake discussion, we will either:

• Advise you that we cannot take on your case and, if possible, provide you with additional resources
• Reach out for more information to help our team decide whether we can move forward
• Advise you that we are prepared to take on your case and send you paperwork to review and execute through DocuSign

Once the agreement is signed, we go straight to work. The intake team will reach out to give you the name of your new contact within the firm and their contact information. This will typically be a paralegal, who will serve as your main point of contact as your case progresses. 

Ready to Talk? We’re Here to Help

After an accident, you may have questions about your injuries, insurance, or what to do next. You don’t need to have all the answers or paperwork ready before contacting Harrell & Harrell.

Our team is here to listen, learn about your situation, and help you understand the next steps.

Call our Jacksonville personal injury team at (904) 251-1111 or complete our online contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation.