If you have been hurt by someone else's negligence you may not need a lawyer but you should arm yourself with good, quality information before calling a personal injury attorney or dealing with the insurance company yourself.

Virginia personal injury and medical malpractice attorney Ben Glass says that he is "sick and tired of the insurance companies taking advantage of people before they have access to valuable information that previously could only be obtained by calling an attorney and making an appointment for a consultation."

The insurance company would love for you to just "fill out a few" forms or give them a "recorded statement" or even "take $1,000 for your inconvenience" before you know what your rights are.