Personal Injury Consultation Quick Guide

– Bring police reports, photos, insurance letters, medical paperwork, and any settlement offers.

– Write down accident details, witness names, symptoms, missed work, and questions.

– Do not sign releases or give recorded statements before getting legal advice.

– Schedule a consultation even if you do not have every document yet. Bring what you have. We will handle the rest.

Initial Consultation Checklist

What to Bring to Your Free Personal Injury Consultation with Slavey & Shumaker PLLC in Morgantown, WV

Quick Answer

To prepare for your free personal injury initial consultation with Slavey & Shumaker PLLC, gather six things: the police or incident report, photos of the scene and injuries, your medical records and bills, your auto insurance declarations page and insurer correspondence, wage and lost-income documentation, and witness contact information. Most clients can pull these together in about 30 minutes. When you are ready, call (304) 212-5791 or contact us online to schedule.

How to Prepare for Your Personal Injury Initial Consultation

A checklist of documents and information to gather before meeting with a personal injury attorney at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC for your free initial consultation.

• Total prep time: about 30 minutes
• Cost of consultation: $0 — every initial personal injury consultation at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC is free
• Where: in person at 174 Chancery Row, Morgantown, WV 26505, by phone, or by video
• Who it is for: anyone hurt in a car wreck, truck crash, motorcycle accident, pedestrian collision, fall, or other personal injury in West Virginia

You do not need every item on this list to call. Many injured clients reach out while they are still in treatment or waiting for a police report. The point of this checklist is to make the first meeting as clear and productive as possible — not to gatekeep it.

What You Will Need (Supplies Checklist)

Bring as many of the following six items as you can. Each maps to a specific question your attorney will ask during the consultation.

1. Police accident report or incident report. This establishes the basic facts, the responding agency, and any preliminary fault findings. If the report is not ready, bring the report number and the responding officer’s name.
2. Photos of the accident scene, vehicles, and injuries. Bring vehicle damage shots, license plates, the roadway, traffic signals, skid marks, debris, weather conditions, visible injuries, and any dashcam, doorbell, or surveillance clips you have already collected.
3. Medical records and bills related to the injury. Discharge papers, ER records, urgent care notes, imaging reports, prescriptions, therapy referrals, specialist notes, and any bills or Explanation of Benefits statements you have received.
4. Auto insurance declarations page and any correspondence with insurers. Your own policy declarations page, the at-fault driver’s insurance card or claim number, adjuster names and phone numbers, and every letter, email, denial, settlement offer, or recorded-statement request you have received.
5. Wage and lost income documentation. Pay stubs, an employer letter confirming missed work, written work restrictions from a treating doctor, and — if you are self-employed — invoices, contracts, or tax documents showing the income you lost.
6. Names and contact information for witnesses. Phone numbers, email addresses, or social media handles for anyone who saw the crash, fall, or hazard. Witnesses matter most when the insurance company tries to blame you.

If something on this list is missing, do not let that delay the call. We can request most of these records on your behalf once you retain the firm.

The 5 Steps to Prepare for Your Free Consultation

Step 1 — Gather Accident Documentation

Collect the police report, photos of the scene and damage, and any witness contact information.

If law enforcement responded, get the crash report or the report number from the responding agency (West Virginia State Police, Morgantown Police Department, Monongalia County Sheriff, or the city or campus agency that took the call). Pull every photo and video off your phone — vehicle damage, the roadway, license plates, the other driver’s insurance card, weather, and any visible injuries. If neighbors, businesses, or witnesses were on scene, write down their names and how to reach them. This first step is the foundation of the entire claim.

Step 2 — Compile Medical Records

Organize all medical records, bills, prescriptions, and any documentation of ongoing treatment related to the injury.

Put together your ER discharge papers, urgent care records, imaging reports, prescriptions, physical therapy notes, and any specialist or surgeon paperwork. If you do not have the actual records yet, just list every provider you have seen — ambulance service, hospital, primary care doctor, orthopedic, neurologist, chiropractor, mental health provider — with dates and locations. Write down your current symptoms and how they have changed since the accident. Be honest about preexisting conditions; an aggravated prior injury is still a compensable injury under West Virginia law, and accurate history prevents the insurer from ambushing the claim later.

Step 3 — Pull Insurance Information

Bring your insurance declarations page and any letters or claim numbers from the at-fault driver’s insurer.

Locate your auto policy declarations page — this is the page that shows your liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and medical payments limits. Bring every claim number, adjuster name, adjuster phone number, and piece of correspondence from any insurance company involved: your insurer, the at-fault driver’s insurer, your health insurer, workers’ compensation, Medicare, or Medicaid. If anyone has asked you for a recorded statement, a medical authorization, or a signed release, bring that paperwork too. Do not sign anything until your attorney reviews it.

Step 4 — Document Financial Losses

Pull pay stubs, employer letters, or other documentation of lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses.

Gather pay stubs covering the period before and after the injury, a written letter from your employer confirming the dates you missed work, and any disability or short-term leave paperwork. If a doctor placed you on light duty or out of work entirely, bring those written restrictions. Self-employed clients should bring invoices, contracts, calendars, or tax returns that show the income lost. Add receipts for out-of-pocket costs — prescription co-pays, crutches, braces, mileage to medical appointments, rental car charges, and household help you had to pay for because of the injury.

Step 5 — Schedule Your Free Consultation

Call Slavey & Shumaker PLLC at (304) 212-5791 or contact us online to schedule your free initial consultation.

Once you have worked through steps 1 through 4, call the firm at (304) 212-5791 or submit the contact form. We will confirm a time that works for you — in person at 174 Chancery Row in Morgantown, by phone, or by video. The consultation is free, and there is no obligation to hire the firm afterward. Personal injury cases at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC are handled on a contingency-fee basis, which means you owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Why Each Item Matters

A personal injury claim is built from documents. The police report and photos establish how the crash happened. The medical records prove the injury and tie it to the wreck. The insurance declarations page tells your attorney what coverage is actually available — including uninsured motorist and med-pay benefits you may not realize you have. Wage records and out-of-pocket receipts turn pain and disruption into recoverable damages. Witnesses defend you against comparative-fault arguments. Bringing this material to the first meeting is the difference between a 20-minute introduction and a working game plan.

What Happens at the Consultation

Your attorney will walk through what happened, identify deadlines (West Virginia generally gives you two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit — see our WV car accident statute of limitations page), flag any evidence that needs to be preserved right away (such as commercial vehicle data, surveillance video, or 911 audio), and explain how the firm communicates with clients. You will leave with a clear understanding of your options and the next steps — not a sales pitch.

If your case involves a vehicle collision, you may also want to review our car accident lawyers page and our car accident settlements page before the meeting. For broader injury claims, start with the Morgantown personal injury lawyers page.

What If You Do Not Have Everything Yet?

Call anyway. Most clients are missing at least one item on this list at the first meeting. The greater risk is waiting — evidence disappears, surveillance video gets overwritten, witnesses move, and deadlines run. Bring what you have, tell us what is still outstanding, and we will help you request the rest.

Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, sign a medical authorization, or accept a settlement before you have spoken with an attorney. Once a release is signed, the claim is almost always over.

How This Page Connects to Your Claim

This consultation checklist is designed to support our firm’s personal injury and car accident resources. If you are still learning about your rights, read our West Virginia personal injury lawyer page. If you were hurt in or near Morgantown, review our Morgantown personal injury lawyers page. If your injury came from a collision, start with our car accident lawyers page.

If you want to know what clients have said about the firm, visit our client reviews page. When you are ready to talk, use the contact Slavey & Shumaker PLLC page to request a consultation.

Schedule an Initial Consultation With Slavey & Shumaker PLLC

If you were injured in a car wreck or personal injury accident, preparation can help you make the most of your first conversation with a lawyer. The right documents can help clarify what happened, who may be responsible, what insurance coverage exists, and what losses need to be documented.

Slavey & Shumaker PLLC helps injured people and families in Morgantown, North Central West Virginia, and across the state. Bring what you have, write down your questions, and contact the firm before giving statements or accepting a settlement you do not fully understand.

Use the contact Slavey & Shumaker PLLC page to get started. Bring what you have. We will handle the rest.