5 Questions Every Personal Injury Intake Should Ask (That Most Miss)

Personal injury intake is the first filter between high-value cases and time-wasters. Experienced intake specialists know the questions that separate a $500,000 case from a $5,000 case—often within the first two minutes of a call.

Yet most intake scripts miss crucial questions, leaving attorneys to discover problems after investing significant time and resources.

Here are the five questions that experienced PI paralegals ask—and why they matter.

Question 1: "When exactly did this happen?"

This seems obvious, but it's often asked poorly. The follow-up matters more than the initial question.

Why It Matters

Statute of limitations is the most common case-killer in personal injury law. Different jurisdictions, different claim types, and different defendants all have different deadlines.

What to Ask

• "What date did the accident occur?"
• "Have you filed any claims or contacted the insurance company?"
• "Were there any government entities involved?" (different limitations)
• "Is this a work-related injury?" (workers' comp timeline)

What to Listen For

Cases approaching limitations are urgent—they might be valuable but require immediate action. Cases beyond limitations need immediate identification to avoid wasting resources.

AI Advantage: AI can automatically calculate days until statute expiration and flag urgent cases for immediate attorney review.

Question 2: "Who else might be responsible?"

Most callers only think about the obvious defendant. But the best personal injury attorneys identify all potentially liable parties early.

Why It Matters

Multiple defendants mean multiple insurance policies. A case with one $25,000 policy is worth far less than the same injuries against three defendants with $100,000 policies each.

What to Ask

• "Where exactly did this happen?" (premises liability potential)
• "Was anyone else involved?" (multiple drivers, contractors, etc.)
• "Was the person who injured you working at the time?" (employer liability)
• "Were there any defective products involved?"

What to Listen For

Vehicle accidents: Was the driver working? Uber/Lyft? Delivery? Company vehicle? Slip and falls: Who owns the property? Who maintains it? Who created the hazard? Product injuries: Manufacturer, retailer, distributor?

AI Advantage: AI can prompt for additional parties based on accident type, ensuring no potential defendant is missed.

Question 3: "What medical treatment have you received?"

Medical documentation is the foundation of damages in personal injury cases. Understanding treatment history reveals case value and potential problems.

Why It Matters

Treatment gaps are the biggest challenge in PI cases. A caller who was injured six months ago but hasn't seen a doctor has a much harder case than one currently in treatment.

What to Ask

• "Did you go to the hospital? By ambulance?"
• "Who is treating you now? Are you still in treatment?"
• "What's your doctor saying about your recovery timeline?"
• "Have you missed work? How much?"

What to Listen For

• No treatment: Difficult case, damages hard to prove
• ER only: Common, but needs follow-up treatment
• Ongoing treatment: Stronger case, ongoing damages
• Surgery recommended: Higher value, more urgent
• Permanent injury: Highest value potential

AI Advantage: AI can score cases based on treatment history and flag high-value cases with significant ongoing medical needs.

Question 4: "What insurance do you know about?"

Insurance coverage determines whether a case can be collected. A million-dollar verdict against an uninsured defendant is worth nothing.

Why It Matters

Coverage investigation should begin during intake. Knowing early whether there's adequate coverage allows proper case valuation and resource allocation.

What to Ask

• "Do you know if the person who injured you has insurance?"
• "Was there a police report? Did you get the insurance information?"
• "Do you have car insurance? What are your coverage limits?"
• "Does your health insurance cover your treatment so far?"

What to Listen For

• Known liability insurance: Positive sign
• Unknown coverage: Investigation needed
• No liability coverage: Look for UM/UIM or other sources
• High UM/UIM limits: Client's own coverage may be the best recovery

AI Advantage: AI can capture insurance information and automatically query known company databases for coverage limits.

Question 5: "Have you talked to any other attorneys?"

This question makes many intake specialists uncomfortable, but it's crucial for case evaluation and timing.

Why It Matters

Case history affects everything. A client who's been rejected by three attorneys probably has a problem. A client who's calling while already represented has ethical implications.

What to Ask

• "Have you contacted any other attorneys about this?"
• "Are you currently represented by an attorney?"
• "Has anyone else looked at your case?"
• "Why are you looking for another attorney?" (if applicable)

What to Listen For

• First call: Positive—you're first in line
• Multiple rejections: Red flag—investigate why
• Currently represented: Ethics issues—proceed carefully
• Fired previous attorney: Understand circumstances

AI Advantage: AI asks these questions neutrally without the human tendency to skip uncomfortable topics.

Bonus: The One Question Nobody Asks

"What would justice look like to you?"

This open-ended question reveals:

• Client expectations (realistic or not)
• Emotional investment in the case
• Potential problem clients (unrealistic demands)
• Settlement vs. trial preference

Most intake scripts never ask it. But understanding client expectations from day one prevents problems later.

Building Better Intake

Whether you're training human intake staff or configuring an AI system, these questions should be non-negotiable. They:

1. Identify limitations issues immediately
2. Discover all potential defendants
3. Assess damages potential through treatment
4. Determine collectibility through insurance
5. Understand case history and client expectations

The AI Advantage

AI intake systems ask every question, every time. They never:

• Skip uncomfortable questions
• Forget to probe for details
• Rush through busy periods
• Miss follow-up opportunities

When configured properly, AI intake captures more complete information than human intake staff in most cases.

Implementation Checklist

For your intake process, ensure you capture:

• Exact date of incident
• All potential defendants identified
• Current treatment status
• Known insurance information
• Case history with other attorneys
• Client expectations/goals

Related Resources

• AI Intake for Personal Injury Lawyers - Live demo and features
• How AI Intake Increases PI Conversion by 83% - Data on conversion improvements
• 24/7 Legal Intake: AI vs Answering Services - Coverage comparison
• AI for Law Firms - Legal-specific AI solutions
• Mass Tort Intake Case Study - Real-world implementation

---

Want to see AI intake in action? Try our live demo or start a free trial