If you or someone in your family has been in a car accident, or suffered an injury for which you weren’t at fault, or are dealing with uncooperative insurance companies, talking to a personal injury attorney about your options might not be the first thing on your mind. That’s understandable, and it’s also understandable that when you are ready to discuss your situation, a call to a law firm might seem daunting.
We get it: The legal process can be complicated and intimidating. At Bordas & Bordas, our goal is to make the experience as welcoming as possible to everyone who calls our offices for a free consultation. We want you to feel comfortable speaking with us as we work through your legal options.
And we want you to call, even if you’re unsure that you have a case. Here’s what you can expect when you call Bordas & Bordas and talk to our team.
Who Will I Speak to When I Call?
When you call Bordas & Bordas, a receptionist will answer and ask how we can help you. If you are seeking legal help, you will be transferred to one of our intake representatives, who are specialists in gathering your information and guiding you toward next steps. Our intake representatives are local to the Ohio Valley and southwest Pennsylvania—you won’t be sent to a call center outside the region or outside the U.S.
If you call our firm after hours, on the weekend, or on a holiday, you will get our voicemail service asking you to leave a message. Please leave a detailed message, including your name and the best number and time to get a hold of you. An intake representative will return your call early the next day or after the weekend—and we prioritize those calls as soon as we’re back in the office.
And if our intake representatives are busy during the day and you don’t get through right away, don’t be discouraged: Our receptionist will pass along the information, and our intake representatives will get back to you ASAP.
What Will the Intake Representative Ask?
Our intake representatives will start the conversation by asking for some basic information from you:
Name
Address
Phone number
Email address
How you heard about Bordas & Bordas
After you give us this info, we will ask about your situation: What happened to you, how you were injured, what pain and suffering you and your family have endured, and what relief you are hoping for by contacting a personal injury attorney. This is your opportunity to tell your story, and we are eager to hear it and guide you through next steps.
Supporting documents such as police reports, insurance correspondence, medical records, and photos can be helpful when you first call, but don’t worry if you don’t have them readily available. Those documents will be vital later in the process, but for now, telling us your story is most important.
During the call, the intake representatives will encourage you to ask questions you may have. Some questions can be answered only by our attorneys, but with others (e.g., “What is a contingency fee?”), our intake specialists will answer the best that they can.
Unlike other personal injury lawyers who require you to sign a consultation agreement that limits you from contacting other attorneys while your case is being considered, Bordas & Bordas won’t make you sign anything until both sides have agreed to representation. Your trust is valuable to us, and making you commit to our firm before you feel comfortable with us doesn’t build a good lawyer-client relationship.
What Happens After the Intake Call?
After our intake representatives get all your information on your call, they will forward it to our attorneys, who will determine if we accept your case, require more information, or decline to represent you. A paralegal may contact you to set up a call with an attorney to discuss the possibility of taking your case.
Whether we decide to take your case or not, someone from our office will get back to you, usually in a few days, though there are times it may take longer. We consider all the factors of your situation and will always call you personally if we decline to represent you.
Why Might I Be Told That Bordas Can’t Help Me?
Our firm wishes we could help everybody who contacts us; however, there are some basic circumstances in which we won’t be able to take your case. Some of these situations include:
You’re being sued: The attorneys at Bordas & Bordas specialize in helping people who have been wrongly injured, either physically or through bad faith claims by insurance companies. Although defendants in such cases deserve quality representation on their side, we represent only plaintiffs in such cases.
It’s an area of law we don’t practice: Bordas & Bordas represents clients in a broad range of personal injury cases, but there are some areas we don’t practice, including divorce, criminal law, slander/libel, and probate.
It’s outside our jurisdiction: Our firm’s attorneys primarily operate in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and we are licensed in a couple other states. Most civil cases are litigated at the state level, so if, for example, you are calling from outside our attorneys’ jurisdiction, we likely will be unable to take your case.
Bordas & Bordas: An Ally When You Need One
Everyone at Bordas & Bordas is dedicated to helping every person who contacts our offices. We value your initial conversations with us, and even if we don’t take your case, we hope to earn your trust so that if the unthinkable happens and you need a personal injury lawyer, you can reach out to us again.
You can call Bordas & Bordas at 888-4JUSTICE (888-458-8423) or call one of our offices directly:
Pittsburgh (and Pennsylvania): 412-502-5000
Moundsville: 304-845-5600
Wheeling (and West Virginia): 304-242-8410
St. Clairsville (and Ohio): 740-695-8141
And if you are more comfortable connecting with us online, visit our website and request a consultation, or interact with our 24/7 automated live chat. We carefully review every request and go through the same steps we do with people who call our offices. Whether by phone or online, we look forward to helping you.