What to Expect When You Hire Us
We are your guide to the personal injury process in New York.
The accident that caused your injury may have been over in seconds. Getting compensation for your injuries, though, can be a long process. We can’t promise that it will be over quickly. We absolutely can promise that when you work with Keogh Crispi, P.C., we will make sure you’re prepared for every step.
It starts with the free initial consultation.
After an accident, there are few things more important than knowing your legal rights. We offer a free consultation to every prospective client because we want you to understand your legal options — and we want to be able to intervene to protect your rights promptly, before evidence disappears or is destroyed.
If you have them, bring the following documents to your free consultation:
- Photos of the accident scene and any visible injuries
- Contact information for witnesses
- Any accident reports (police, employer, etc.) that may have been filed
- Medical bills and records
- Documentation of lost work or income (e.g., dates missed, paystubs, W-2 forms)
- Insurance information
If you don’t have or haven’t been able to obtain any of those documents, don’t worry. We can help you acquire the information needed to build a strong case. The most important thing is that you meet with us as soon as possible.
During the free consultation, our goal is to understand three things: what happened, how it has affected your life, and what we can do about it. We’ll listen to your story and review the evidence you’ve brought to start piecing together the cause of your accident and identify the responsible party. We also spend a lot of time talking through the symptoms of the injury and the effects it has had on your life. Are you still able to work? Has your home life changed? What about your hobbies? How is your medical prognosis? Every detail should be accounted for when we make your claim for financial compensation.
If we determine that we can help you, we’ll review our contingency fee agreement and explain what will happen next if you choose to hire us. Remember, you don’t owe us a cent until and unless we get a financial recovery for you.
Focus on your medical treatment and follow your doctor’s orders.
Your priority after you are injured should be your health. See your doctor and tell them about every symptom; even a minor pain or discomfort could be a sign of a more serious injury. Follow your doctor’s instructions and take your medications as prescribed. While you are undergoing medical treatment, make sure to keep all your bills and document every expense, including mileage to and from appointments. Every medical expense should be accounted for in your claim for damages.
In New York, you can often get initial medical expenses paid for by no-fault insurance, if you were hurt in a car crash. Your regular health insurance may also pay for your treatment. If a health insurance carrier or medical provider sends you a lien (a notice that they will want to be paid when you recover from the responsible party), let us know right away. If you don’t have health insurance, we may be able to work out a “treat now, pay later” arrangement with your doctors, called an attorney’s medical lien.
We’ll handle the insurance company day-to-day.
As soon as you hire us, we’ll reach out to the insurance company and inform them that you have retained counsel and all further communications can be directed to us. From that point forward, if an insurance company contacts you, politely decline to answer their questions and tell them to speak with your attorney. We’ll keep them at bay and protect your rights while you focus on healing.
As we handle the negotiations, we’ll keep you in the loop with proactive updates on the status of your case. If you have a question, you can always talk to attorney Pat James Crispi directly – not a paralegal or assistant.
In negotiations and leading to trial, we’ll build a winning strategy together.
You were there. You know what happened, and you know how it affected your life. Our job as your attorney is to help you tell your story in a way that advances your interests.
At every stage of the process – negotiations, depositions, and if necessary, trial – we’ll make sure you are fully prepared. We’ll spend as many hours as necessary talking through our strategy and tactics. You can move through your case with confidence, knowing you have our experience and expertise on your side.
We prepare every case and every client for trial. While our cases certainly can settle out of court, that is because of our preparation, not in spite of it. When the insurance company sees that we are ready to argue your case before a judge, and that you are prepared to be an effective witness for your own cause, they come to us prepared to offer a fair settlement. Of course, the final decision to accept or decline a settlement offer is yours.
While we can’t control the outcome, we put you in control of how each step in your case unfolds. It starts with a free consultation to discuss your legal options. Contact us today to get your claim moving forward.