Car Accident Intake

Car Accident Intake Training

Car accident callers are hurt, shaken and often already talking to an insurance adjuster. The call has to be calm and quick, it has to get the basics the attorney needs, and it has to stay away from every question about fault, value and what to tell the insurer.

Start With the Call Audit or book a conversation

What is different about car accident intake

Callers may be injured, in pain or at a hospital, so the call has to be short, steady and clear about the next step.
Insurance adjusters often call before a lawyer does, so questions about statements, forms and offers are common and all belong to the attorney.
Callers want to know what the case is worth. Intake cannot answer, and a vague answer sounds like a brush-off.
Time matters to the caller, and a slow callback is a common reason they sign elsewhere.

The method does not change. The five stages, the 14-item scorecard and the boundary are the same. What changes is the wording, the questions to ask and where the pressure shows up.

Two Calls

The same moment, answered two ways

"Do I have to give a recorded statement?"

The caller says: "The other driver's insurance wants a recorded statement. Do I have to give it?"

What most desks say

"You do not have to, but it is probably best to wait until you talk to us."

A non-lawyer is advising on a legal step.

What a trained desk says

"That is exactly the question for the attorney, and I do not want to guess at it. I am writing it down so she has it in front of her and goes through it with you at the consultation. Would Thursday at ten or Friday at two be easier?"

The question is handed off with a promise it will be answered, and the call ends on a time.

"What is my case worth?"

The caller says: "I have a broken wrist and missed two weeks of work. What can I expect?"

What most desks say

"These cases can be worth a good amount. The attorney will tell you more."

A hint about value is an outcome claim.

What a trained desk says

"I understand why you want a number, and I would be guessing. The attorney reviews your injuries, your treatment and the details before she says anything about value. Would Thursday at ten or Friday at two work for an hour with her?"

The caller's reason for asking is respected, the case is not valued and the next step is asked for.

Questions that always go to the attorney

These come up on car accident calls all the time. Intake does not answer them; it hands them off with the fixed line and asks for the next step.

"Should I talk to the other driver's insurance?"
"What is my case worth?"
"Who was at fault?"
"Do I still have time to file?"

The hand-off wording and the full boundary are on the line between intake and the attorney. Wording on this page is an example only; the firm and the attorney set the final wording against their jurisdiction's rules. Scope, plainly: everything on this site concerns the conversation that turns an inquiry into an engagement. Nothing here is legal advice, nothing touches the legal work or the attorney's judgment, and any wording a firm adopts is reviewed by the firm against its jurisdiction's rules on attorney advertising, solicitation and fee communication before it is used.

About the Author

Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH is a behavioral strategist and the founder and Chief Learning Officer of R2R Diagnostic Group. He is the former EVP of Learning & Development at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, where he trained sales professionals on the conversations that turn an inquiry into a commitment. He applies the same method, the R2R Assessment and a 14-item call-review scorecard, to law firm intake teams. The work is the conversation only; legal questions and judgment stay with the attorney.

The method, the scripts and the scorecard are on how it works, the script template and the scorecard guide.

Start With the Calls

Start with the car accident calls you already have.

Send a handful of recordings or transcripts and get a scored review of where consultations are being lost.

Start With the Audit or book a conversation

Frequently asked questions

What does intake training for car accident firms cover?

It covers the five stages of a car accident intake call: rapport, questions, value and the fee, asking for the next step and responding to concerns. Scripts are written for your firm and reviewed by the attorney before use.

Does intake give legal advice on car accident calls?

No. Intake explains the process, the consultation and the fee as the firm has set them. Any question about the caller's case goes to the attorney through a fixed hand-off line.

How does the work start for a car accident firm?

With the calls the firm already has. The call audit scores recordings or transcripts on a 14-item scorecard, by person, and shows which stage loses consultations.

Are prices published?

No. Prices are quoted for your firm after a conversation, based on the number of intake people and calls reviewed, and the scope is agreed in writing first.