Once you contact an attorney, the attorney will conduct a detailed interview concerning your accident or incident, your injuries, your background, and any other factors that may be relevant factors to the case. You will probably be asked to sign authorizations so that the attorney may obtain the medical records. This is necessary because in Massachusetts, a hospital or doctor cannot release your medical records or any information regarding your medical care without a written authorization signed by you. The lawyer will also review and have you sign a contingent fee agreement which explains the terms of the representation. There are other forms that the lawyer may have you sign depending on the type of case.

After your interview, the lawyer will begin an initial investigation of the circumstances of your case and the nature of the injuries you suffered. In some cases, this may require the lawyer to hire private investigators or other experts to collect information, such as photographs and witness interviews. Following the investigation, the lawyer will, in most cases, send claim letters to the person or company responsible for your injuries and attempt to establish communication with their insurance company. At this stage of the case, the lawyer will be exchanging information with the representative or insurance company of the responsible party. When you have reached a medical end result, the lawyer will attempt to settle your claim. If the claim cannot be settled, then the lawyer may file suit.

Once suit is filed, the claim may take a year or more to be reached for trial. While the suit is pending, your attorney will undertake discovery, which is a further investigation of the facts of the case, in order to prepare the case for trial. During the discovery stage of the case, both sides of the lawsuit are entitled to obtain information from each other. Discovery includes the exchange of documents and of answers to written questions, and depositions. You may even be required to undergo further physical examinations and testing. Once these and other steps are completed, the case is assigned a trial date by the court. All cases should be prepared as though the case will need to go to trial. Then, if the case does not settle, you and your attorney will be in the best position possible to try the case.