Car Accident Intake Questions: What Your Intake Team Must Ask on the First Call

Motor vehicle accidents are the bread and butter of most personal injury practices, and the first call decides whether the file is opened correctly. Below is the question set we recommend every intake agent run on a car accident call, in the order that keeps the conversation natural and the file complete. Each question exists for a legal or operational reason — we note it so your team knows what to listen for.

1. When did the accident happen?

This is the statute-of-limitations trigger. In Florida, the general negligence deadline for personal injury is two years after the 2023 tort reform (HB 837), down from four. Capture the exact date, not 'last month.' If the date is close to a deadline, flag the file for attorney review the same day.

2. Where did it happen?

City, county, and road. Venue drives which court, which local rules, and sometimes which attorney handles the matter. An accident involving a city bus, county truck, or public road defect can trigger shorter government-notice deadlines in many states, so ask whether any public vehicle or property was involved.

3. Have you seen a doctor yet?

Treatment status matters for the client's health first and the claim second. In Florida, PIP benefits generally require initial treatment within 14 days of the accident, so a caller who has not been seen yet should be told to get evaluated promptly. Ask who treated them and whether they are still treating.

4. Who was at fault, in your words?

Let the caller describe what happened. Listen for rear-end, left-turn, red-light, and multi-vehicle scenarios. Florida uses modified comparative negligence: a claimant found more than 50% at fault recovers nothing, so the caller's own account of fault is an early screening signal for the attorney — not a decision the intake agent makes.

5. Was a police report made?

Ask for the agency and report number if they have it. A report, photos, and witness names make the attorney's first review much faster.

6. What insurance is involved?

The caller's own auto policy, the other driver's carrier, and any rideshare or commercial policy. Commercial vehicles (delivery vans, trucks, rideshare on an active trip) change the value and the urgency of the case.

7. Have you spoken to an insurer or another attorney?

If the caller has already given a recorded statement or signed anything, the attorney needs to know before the consult. If they already have a lawyer, the call ends politely — the firm cannot take over a represented client without proper substitution.

8. Book the consult before the call ends

Offer two or three specific times on the attorney's real calendar. 'Someone will call you back' is where most qualified car accident leads are lost, because the caller is phoning other firms the same afternoon.

Running these questions in Spanish

Spanish-speaking callers describe accidents in their own words — 'me chocaron por detrás,' 'el otro carro se pasó la luz roja.' Questions should be asked naturally by a native speaker, not read from a literal translation. Sempull's bilingual agents run this same checklist in English and Spanish, 24/7, and send the completed intake to your CRM.