When taking in a Personal Injury or Workers’ Compensation case, I find that it is very important to get as much information up front as possible which will help in the management of the case for its duration. Little things such as a social security number, spouses name will come into play especially when it comes time for settlement as all insurance companies require these pieces of information before releasing a settlement check. Other things that I will ask are information about prior accidents and/or injuries; this becomes important when negotiating settlements because insurance companies have a way to index people to see if they have been in prior accidents. As an attorney, you do not want to first learn of a prior accident while you are trying to settle a case for a client. Along these lines, it is important that potential clients be completely honest with their attorney so that there are no surprises for anyone involved. Taking on a case for someone who has a history of getting into many accidents lets the attorney know that this could potentially be an issue that could affect the settlement amount. It is also very important that you have good, current mailing addresses, phone numbers and email addresses for your clients so that you are able to reach your clients easily if you need to. By following these guidelines and doing a detailed intake sheet, the attorney and staff are better able to service the clients in an expeditious manner throughout the entire process.