In personal injury cases the information required by an attorney to handle the claim is often acquired exclusively by phone, fax, email, regular mail or priority mail.

Once retained, the attorney may refer the client to a medical provider who will not expect payment until the case settles. The attorney then contacts the insurance companies, phones or faxes in accident reports and schedules vehicle repair inspections. Payments for vehicle repairs and rental reimbursement are forwarded to the client by regular or priority mail.

Police reports are ordered by mail and witness statements are usually taken in phone interviews. Investigators and expert witnesses are contacted by phone, fax and email.

Accident reports for the DMV and insurance companies are also submitted by fax, email or mail. Clients receive advance statement preparation by phone for recorded statements, which are provided via conference calls between attorney, client and insurance adjuster.

After medical treatment is completed, the attorney evaluates the medical records, determines the need and anticipated cost, if any, of future medical expenses, documents loss of income, economic damages and other expenses and reviews the claim with the client by telephone or in writing. After agreeing on the reasonable settlement value, the attorney submits the supporting documentation to the insurance company. The attorney then initiates telephone negotiations which in most cases will result in a settlement of the claim. No settlement offer is ever accepted without the client's prior consent.

When a settlement is reached, settlement documents are sent  by fax, email or letter to the client, then returned to the attorney and forwarded to the insurance company. Copies of all documents and checks are provided to every client. The client receives his or her settlement check by priority mail or or may arrange an office meeting.

All of these steps can usually be accomplished with little or no direct in person contact between attorney and client.

Of course for every rule there is always an exception, or two, or three. Complex personal injury claims and cases involving catastrophic injuries or death do require more personal involvement and person to person contact than the typical personal injury claim. In recognition that there will always be a certain number of files that require that type of in person attention, Attorney David Altman does offer home or hospital visits and will schedule office meetings where lawyer and client can discuss issues and address solutions face to face. Meetings will be available at a convenient office location on short notice, with no time limitations. In addition, for those limited percentage of cases that can or should be litigated, offices will always be available for depositions and litigation conferences. And as is the case with any other law firm, mediations and arbitrations will be conducted at a mediator or arbitrator's office or courtroom and trials will be held in the usual place, a court of appropriate venue and jurisdiction.