Personal Injury
Bring whatever you already have about the incident, your injuries and the insurance: photos, the police or incident report number, medical records and bills, claim numbers and insurer letters, and witness names. Do not delay the meeting to gather everything; missing records can be requested afterward, but some deadlines start right away.
Last updated October 4, 2026.
A first meeting goes further when the lawyer can see the documents instead of hearing them described. This checklist follows the way our personal injury cases are built: what happened, how you were hurt, what it has cost, and who is paying. Bring copies, not originals, and a short written timeline if you can.
| Bring | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Photos and video of the scene, the vehicles or property, and your injuries | They show conditions that change or get repaired quickly |
| Police, CHP or incident report number, and any report you filed yourself | Reports often name the parties, witnesses and insurers |
| A copy of the DMV SR-1 report, if you filed one after a crash | Drivers must file it within 10 days when anyone is injured or damage is over $1,000 |
| Medical records, bills and a list of every provider you have seen | They document the injury, the treatment and its cost |
| Your own insurance policy pages, claim numbers, and every letter or email from any insurer | They show the coverage and what has already been said |
| Pay stubs or a letter from your employer about missed work | They support a claim for lost income |
| The date of the incident and any claim filed with a city, county or state agency | Claims against a public agency are due within six months |
| Names and phone numbers of witnesses | Memories fade and people move |
| Notes or a journal about pain, sleep, work and daily activities | They help show the human cost of the injury |
| Anything you were asked to sign, and any settlement offer | A release can end the claim, so it should be read before it is signed |
California gives patients the right to copies of their own health records. Under Health and Safety Code section 123110(b), a health care provider must send copies within 15 days after receiving a request that specifies the records, in paper or electronic form, and section 123110(a) lets a patient inspect the records within five working days. A provider may not withhold records because of an unpaid bill (section 123110(i)). If your records are kept electronically and you ask for an electronic copy, the provider must give it in the format you request when it is readily producible (section 123110(b)(2)). A patient's personal representative has the same rights, which matters when the injured person cannot make the request. Ask each provider in writing, and keep a list of what you requested and when.
The Glendale Police Department's traffic page says reports that need criminal investigation by its Traffic Bureau, such as hit and run crashes or collisions with a death, may be delayed or not available online, and it lists the Records Bureau at (818) 548-3135 for questions. Freeway crashes are usually handled by the CHP instead; our guide to what to do after a crash in Glendale explains which agency takes the report. If you do not have the report yet, bring the report number or the officer's card.
Tell the lawyer at the start if any of these apply, because they change what has to happen first:
Expect to spend most of the time telling the story in your own words. The lawyer will ask how the incident happened, who else was involved, what treatment you have had and what it has cost, and whether anyone has offered you money or asked you to sign anything. From there, the conversation turns to how the law applies: whether another person or company failed to use reasonable care, how California's comparative fault rule could reduce a recovery if you share some blame, and which deadlines are already running. The Judicial Council's jury instruction CACI 405 describes that rule: if the other side proves you were negligent and that this was a substantial factor in your harm, your damages are reduced by your percentage of responsibility.
If the firm takes the case, the next stages usually follow the order described on our personal injury page: investigation and evidence gathering, collecting medical records and bills, a written demand to the insurer, negotiation, and a lawsuit if a fair settlement cannot be reached. Bringing the documents above lets that work start sooner.
Add the other driver's name, plate and insurance details, your SR-1 copy, repair estimates and any total loss letter. Our page on California's minimum insurance and what happens when it is not enough explains why your own policy pages matter.
Bring your own policy's uninsured motorist pages and proof of when you reported the crash. Our guide to a hit and run or uninsured driver in Los Angeles County explains the reporting rules for those claims.
Bring a copy of any claim already filed, with proof of the date, and every letter the agency sent. Those dates control the next deadline under Government Code section 945.6.
If you missed work, bring pay stubs and any payroll records your employer sent. Our page on getting your payroll records explains how to request them under Labor Code section 226.
For example, imagine a hypothetical driver rear-ended at a Glendale intersection on a Friday. Police come, and she leaves with the officer's card and a report number. Over the next week she visits urgent care and then a physical therapist, and the other driver's insurer calls asking for a recorded statement.
Before her consultation she writes a one-page timeline, saves the photos from her phone into one folder, and files her SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days. She waits the seven days the Glendale police suggest before buying the report online, sends written requests to the urgent care clinic and the therapist, and asks her employer for her payroll records. She does not give the recorded statement yet. At the meeting she brings everything, including the insurer's letters and a list of records still on the way. What the claim is worth will depend on her treatment, which is not finished.
Our personal injury page lists the common mistakes that hurt claims, and they matter most in the first days:
Bring copies when you can, and keep the originals somewhere safe. Photos and videos can stay on your phone if you bring the phone.
Bring the list of providers and the dates you asked for records. Providers must send copies within 15 days after a request, so missing records can follow the meeting.
No. The report number is enough to start. Some reports, such as those for hit and run crashes or fatal collisions, may take longer to release.
You can report the claim, but it is wise to get advice before giving a recorded statement or signing anything.
Our article on 10 questions to ask before hiring an attorney covers who will handle your case, how communication works and what to expect along the way.
You can read about the firm on our about Glendale Law page before you come in. The attorney profile of Avo Nalbandian is also on the site.
Call our Glendale office at (818) 244-9000 to request a consultation. You can also use the form on our contact page. If you do not have every document yet, schedule anyway: we can help request what is missing, and the deadlines above do not wait. Clients from across the city can read about local reports and offices on our Glendale personal injury lawyer page.
Bring what you have. Our Glendale team will review it with you and explain what else is worth gathering.
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