The best course of action is to consult with an attorney soon after the accident, and certainly before the insurance company starts calling you, so that you are advised of your rights and steps you should take to protect yourself. Personal injury law is complex and involves certain strategies, concepts and deadlines. For example, if you are injured, you should be aware of certain “deadlines” or “statutes of limitations.” If the party who caused the injury is a governmental entity, like the federal or state government, county or city, then you must file a claim with the governmental entity within six months of the injury. If you are injured by a “private party,” in California you have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit or you are forever barred. (A medical malpractice claim may have a shorter statute of limitations – one year from the discovery of the injury).