Your First Call with Top Lawyers: A Guide
A Glimpse into Your Free Case Review with Hoffer & Sheremet
As Top Medical Malpractice Lawyers, we understand that reaching out to a medical malpractice attorney can feel overwhelming—especially if you are still coping with physical pain, emotional distress, or uncertainty about what went wrong. Many people worry they won’t know what to say, won’t have the right documents, or won’t be taken seriously.
At Hoffer & Sheremet, PLC, we want you to know this: the first call is not a test, and it’s not an interrogation. It’s a conversation. Our goal is to listen, understand your experience, and determine whether medical negligence may have played a role in what happened to you or your loved one.
Understanding what that first intake call looks like—and how to prepare—can help you feel more confident and supported when you reach out.
What Happens During Your Free Case Review?
Your initial case review is designed to help us learn the basics of your situation and assess whether further investigation is appropriate. During the call, a member of our experienced intake team will ask questions about:
- The medical care you or your loved one received
- When and where that care occurred
- The injuries or complications that followed
- How those injuries have affected your life (i.e. Did you miss work? Has it affected your mobility? Has your incident caused significant pain?)
A case review allows our attorneys to take a closer look at the medical care involved and evaluate whether the facts support a medical malpractice claim.
Preparing for Your Free Case Review
You do not need to have everything perfectly organized before calling—but a little preparation can be helpful. Below are a few tips that may make your intake call more productive.
Consider Writing a Timeline or Brief Summary (AI Can Help)
Before your call, you may find it helpful to write a short summary of what happened. This does not need to be formal or detailed—just a clear, chronological overview in your own words.
Some people choose to use AI tools to help organize their thoughts before a case review. For example, you can write out everything you remember and ask AI to help you turn it into a clear, easy-to-follow summary. This can be especially useful when care involved multiple providers, facilities, or extended hospital stays.
Using AI in this way does not replace legal advice—but it can help you feel more prepared and confident during your first conversation with our team. Prompts like “Organize the following story” or “Help me start a timeline based on this story” can go a long way!
Putting Together a Timeline of Care
AI-aided or not, a timeline is often one of the most valuable tools during an initial case review. If possible, try to jot down:
- Dates (or approximate dates) of medical visits, hospital stays, or procedures
- Names of doctors, nurses, hospitals, or facilities involved
- Tests, surgeries, or treatments you recall
- Medications prescribed or administered
Your timeline does not need to be perfect. However, there are statutes of limitations for medical malpractice cases in Michigan, therefore our expert attorneys want to know a general timeline of when injuries or procedures occurred. Even an approximate timeline can significantly assist our attorneys during the case review process. It is absolutely fine if you do not recall some of these details!
Include How You Are Doing Now
Medical malpractice cases are not only about what went wrong—they are also about how the injury has affected your life.
Be prepared to talk about:
- Your current symptoms or limitations
- Whether you are still receiving treatment
- How the injury has affected your ability to work, care for your family, or enjoy daily activities
This information helps us determine whether a full case review is appropriate and whether your injuries meet the legal threshold required for a medical malpractice claim.
What You Don’t Need to Worry About
Many people hesitate to call because they think they:
- Don’t have enough information
- Might be wrong about what happened
- Should wait until they have medical records
You do not need to have medical records before calling. You also do not need to be certain malpractice occurred. That’s part of our job—to help determine whether medical negligence may have played a role.
Contact a Grand Rapids Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
If you believe you or a loved one may have been harmed by medical negligence, the first step is simply reaching out. The only way to know whether you may have a medical malpractice case is to speak with a qualified legal professional who understands how these cases are evaluated.
At Hoffer & Sheremet, PLC, we dedicate the time needed to listen to your story, review the details, and help you understand your legal options. Our firm focuses exclusively on medical malpractice, and we have experience handling complex cases throughout Grand Rapids, Lansing, Detroit, Kalamazoo, and across Michigan.
Call 616-278-0888 today for a free consultation and learn what your next steps may be, or use our intake form.