How a case actually works
Start to finish, with real durations and the honest admission that most of it is waiting for medicine rather than law.
Before you call anyone
Three things matter more than finding a lawyer, and all of them are things only you can do.
- Get medical attention and keep going. Not for the claim — for you. The claim benefits too, because gaps in treatment are the single most effective argument against an injury being real.
- Photograph everything while it still exists. The scene, the vehicles, the hazard, your injuries as they develop, and any camera you can see at the location.
- Say nothing to the other side's insurer. You owe them no recorded statement and no medical authorization.
What happens when you contact us
- Same day, seven days a week
The first call
A conversation about what happened, what injuries you have, and what has happened since. No charge, no obligation, and no pressure to sign anything on that call. If we do not think you need a lawyer, that is when we say so.
- First few days
We look at coverage and liability
What insurance exists, who might be responsible, and whether there is a deadline that is shorter than you think — a public entity means six months rather than two years.
- First week or two
Preservation
Letters to anyone holding evidence that expires: camera footage, vehicle data, commercial records. This is the genuinely urgent part of any case.
- Months 1 to 6, 12 or longer
You treat; we build
You concentrate on getting better. We gather records and bills, deal with the insurers so you do not have to, and keep you updated whether or not anything has changed.
- After maximum medical improvement
Demand
A documented package goes to the insurer: liability, the full medical course, the economic loss, the future care, and what this has actually done to your life. Most claims resolve from here.
- Your decision
Suit, if the gap is worth it
If negotiation stalls, filing is a decision you make with honest advice about what it costs in time, privacy and risk. Most filed cases still settle, usually at mediation.
- 2 to 8 weeks after settlement
Resolution and liens
Medical liens and reimbursement claims are negotiated down and resolved before anything is distributed. This stage often puts real money back in a client's pocket and it is the part nobody warns you about.
What we ask of you
- Go to your appointments. It is the most valuable thing you can do for both your recovery and your claim.
- Tell us everything, including the unhelpful parts. A prior injury disclosed on day one is a baseline. Discovered in your records on day four hundred, it is the defense's whole case.
- Keep us reachable. Cases stall more often because a client changed phone number than for any legal reason.
- Stop posting. See social media and surveillance. Do not delete anything; just stop adding.
- Keep every receipt and every piece of paper. Mileage to appointments, prescriptions, the brace you bought, the help you paid for.
Reviewed October 2026 by Simon Aziz Budhwani, Esq., the attorney responsible for this site. Legal statements here name the California code section they rely on, so you can check them rather than trust them. This is information about the law in general, not advice about your situation.
Find out where you stand.
Tell us what happened and we will tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth bringing, what it is likely to involve, and how long it tends to take. The review is free and there is no fee unless there is a recovery.