WHAT TO EXPECT FROM US (& YOUR ROLE) DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM AND/OR LAWSUIT

WARNING: Please do not post any facts about this accident on Myspace and/or Facebook. This may cost you thousands of dollars!

We are an informal, but extremely busy, law firm. If we agree to represent you, it is almost certain that at some point in the future you will feel frustrated because you have not been able to get through to us on the telephone or you cannot get an appointment as soon as you would like. We ask you to remember that we have many, many clients and that we are committed to properly serving the needs of each.

Every claim and/or lawsuit consists of periods of activity and periods of "waiting." When your case requires our attention, it receives it, while other clients (whose cases are in inactive periods) wait. When your case is in an inactive phase, we are devoting our time and attention to other cases that have immediate demands. We appreciate your patience and understanding during what we realize is a slow and difficult process for you. Rest assured that you are neither forgotten nor neglected.

You can assist us by providing us with all medical bills, medical records, pictures of anything you deem important, accident report(s), letters you receive, etc. It is your responsibility to forward us all correspondence which you receive relating to your claim. It is your duty to inform the hospital, medical providers, medical billing companies and/or collection agencies that you have auto and/or health insurance that may provide coverage for this accident.

You can assist us in serving your needs by observing a few common sense guidelines:

• If you are certain that you need to speak with your lawyer or our paralegal, call to make
  an appointment. Due to our schedules, it is generally a waste of your time for you to "drop in." It is rarely possible for us to see you immediately and, if we can work you in at all, it generally requires a long wait on your part. To spare us both the frustration, call for an appointment except in cases of emergency.
• You will have questions regarding your claim and/or lawsuit from time to time, and we certainly want to see that they are answered fully. Before you call us, however, refer to the information we provide to you. It is likely that you will find a sufficient
• explanation. If not, you may find that dropping us a note or email, or faxing us your questions, will be more successful than telephoning. Having your concerns in writing serves as a reminder for us and permits us to address those concerns before or after regular business hours.
• You must keep us informed of your current address, your home telephone, and your
  work telephone. If any of those changes, notify us in writing immediately. There will almost certainly be times during your claim/lawsuit when we will need you on very short notice, and we must be able to contact you both during the day and after hours.
• During your claim and/or lawsuit, we will request your help in collecting information. If we ask you to provide us with information within a certain time period, it is imperative that you follow our instructions precisely. Lawsuits are very time-sensitive.

REMEMBER: Obviously, it is critical that you comply with each and every deadline that we give you.

If we agree to represent you, we will insist that you honor the terms of your contract regarding payment of costs and fees and the end of the matter.

However, in this basic information, we want to include one very important point regarding the mediation process:

If, during this claim, (1) your lawyer advises you that a settlement amount that has been offered to you is equal to or more than your lawyer believes you can recover at trial, and (2) you turn down the offer, then we specifically reserve the option to withdraw from your representation.

All of the rules above are included in your fee contract. Be certain that you understand them before you sign it.