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It’s fair to say that most personal injury lawyers treat the free consultation concept as a process rather than event. Perhaps it goes without saying, but even personal injury matters arising from seemingly modest, or minor, automobile accidents can become complex. 

Common Personal Injury Scenarios

Take, for example, a commonly recurring situation in the world of personal injury cases. In slow-moving, stop-and-go traffic, one driver momentarily loses consciousness, attention, or control of their vehicle. and hits the car in front. We have all seen these types of cases and accidents. Indeed, for those still commuting, it is entirely likely that on their way to work, and from work today, one such accident will occur. Generally, in these situations, the driver that lost control of their vehicle, even if temporarily, is found responsible for having caused the accident. 

Determining Liability

This all seems pretty straightforward. In many respects, it’s just common sense that if a driver made a mistake, lost control, or hit the car in front, when the driver of the car in front could not possibly have contributed to the accident, as they were simply stopped lawfully in traffic with no expectation that they would be struck from behind through no fault of their own, that driver would be found at fault. It would make sense that the insurance company for the striking vehicle would accept responsibility for any resulting claims and promptly pay. All this does not seem complex, and one may easily say there would seem to be, at least facially, any reason to consult with an attorney. From this point of seeming certainty, matters can indeed become complex. 

Questions

• What if the insurance company for the striking vehicle says there is no insurance coverage? 
• What if that insurance company denies the claim, stating that the vehicle was being operated by someone without permission?
• What if the driver of the vehicle that was hit suffers a significant injury that requires medical care, attendance, and ongoing treatment? 
• Where does the injured person go? 
• What type of doctor do they see? 
• Who pays for these bills? 
• What if this injured person has to miss a few days at work because their neck and their back hurt? 
• How do they get paid for those lost wages?
  

There are hundreds or potentially even thousands of additional questions that may arise from what a seemingly straightforward automobile accident was otherwise.

Consulting With Your Personal Injury Attorney 

The consultation process has important objectives. Educating the potential client on their rights and responsibilities. Answering inquiries and addressing concerns. The true value in the free consultation is the final step. Here the lawyer suggests what the injured person should do next, both in terms of expectations and affirmative steps, to safeguard those rights and interests.