How we evaluate a personal injury case in the first 48 hours

Most injury firms describe their intake as "we listen to your story." That is true, but it is not the whole story. By the end of the first 48 hours after you call us, we have answered four specific questions about your case. Those answers decide whether Sterling and Reyes is the right firm to represent you — and if we are not, whether we know who is.

The intake call

Our intake is conducted by an attorney, not a paralegal or a call-center contractor. The reason is simple: we are deciding within the first thirty minutes whether your facts support a viable claim, and that decision should be made by someone who tries cases for a living. The call usually runs forty-five minutes to an hour. We ask about the incident itself, the medical care you have received so far, any prior conditions or claims, and what the loss has done to your work and your family.

We do not ask you to sign anything during that first call. We do not pressure you into a same-day retainer. If we are the right fit, you will know within a week. If we are not, we will tell you that on the call — and where appropriate, we will introduce you to a firm that handles your specific situation better than we do.

The medical-records pull

Inside 24 hours of your intake, our paralegal team begins pulling your medical records from every provider you saw between the date of the incident and the present. We do this before you sign a fee agreement because we cannot give you an honest assessment of your case without seeing what the records actually say. Stories diverge from records more often than anyone expects, and the records win every time at trial.

The four factors

By the end of the 48-hour window we have answered:

• Liability. Is there a defendant whose conduct caused the injury, and can we prove it with the evidence available?
• Damages. Are the medical bills, lost wages, and future-care projections substantial enough that the case is worth bringing? Cases under our floor go to a referral partner who handles them more efficiently than we can.
• Causation. Are the injuries you describe medically tied to the incident, or are they confounded by prior conditions in a way that will fracture a jury verdict?
• Recovery source. Is there an insurance policy or a solvent defendant that can actually pay a judgment? A perfect case against an empty pocket is not a viable case.

What happens after

If all four answers are yes, we send you a fee agreement, an authorization-to-represent form, and a written case plan that lays out the first ninety days of work. If any one of the four is a clear no, we explain why on a follow-up call and, where possible, refer you to a firm or a contingency-fee plaintiff's lawyer whose practice fits your facts better.

If you want to talk through a recent incident, the intake form at the top of every page routes directly to an attorney. You will hear back the same business day.