If you have suffered a personal injury and are thinking of searching for a personal injury lawyer, remember that they are depending on you to provide as much detail as possible in order for them to best represent you. You will get the best representation if you remember to do the following:
Medical reports are essential in settling injury cases. Even though you believe you feel “fine”, make sure to attend all medical appointments and have an expert weigh in. Same goes for where there are signs of pain or symptoms signaling you need prompt medical attention. Unfortunately, many people try to tough it out hoping that the pain goes away. Not only does this hurt your case, your health may degenerate while you’re waiting this one out.
To give you a better chance at succeeding with your claims, medical records are used to prove the extent of your injury. These records will describe your injuries, state what treatments you have been given or are still receiving. Also keeping your medical appointments shows you are serious about taking care of your health.
The importance of telling your attorney the truth cannot be overemphasized. Withholding even minute details can jeopardize your claims as the opposing party is likely going to use every piece of information at their disposal to disprove your claims. You wouldn’t want your attorney stepping into the courtroom only to be blindsided by little bits of information that they ought to be aware of. Your attorney needs to know exactly what happened, whatever documents you may have signed, what you may have said to the insurance company, any previous injury claims and anything that may help them craft a better claim. It is of course on the details of the information you provide that they know what will and won’t work.
Usually, the highly charged atmosphere following an accident can make victims say words that could be interpreted by the opposition as admitting fault. Uttering simple words such as “I’m sorry”, “I didn’t see you coming”, or “I saw you too late” could drastically hurt your case.
It is important to remember your silence at the scene of the accident is golden. Talking to insurance agents, or the other victims may have you admitting fault. Simply put-If they are not your Attorney, you shouldn’t be talking to them.
Another reason why you should refrain from discussing your claims with anyone other than your attorney is the possibility that they could be called in as witnesses in the case. If they share information through statements, depositions, and/or cross examinations you may give the defense enough material to call in evidence against you. So talk to family and friends but not about the fine details of your case.
The trial process can sometimes be lengthy and draining and so you will need as much support as possible. Knowing you have a great attorney representing you goes a long way in boosting your morale but you will also need emotional support, often provided by family and friends.
Interestingly, this support is necessary not only for the victim but also for the witnesses. Being a public space, the courtroom is filled with strange faces which makes it extremely important to have emotional support from familiar faces while in the midst of the crowd.
You need someone or a group of persons invested in seeing that you’re alright irrespective of whatever you have to face. At Daniel Law, we have a previous client Mariah to hold your hand. Having gone through the process herself, she is always happy and willing to lend a hand so you’re never going through the process alone. Think of her as your crisis hotline.
The reason for this is pretty obvious – so you don’t run into more trouble. When going through a trial, a lot of opinions are going to come flying in from every last corner. What should you do with these opinions? Throw them out the window! Your friends and family are obviously coming from a good place with these pieces of advice but listening to their opinions just might jeopardize your case. If you and your Attorney aren’t on the same page, putting up a single front, it could be disastrous to your case.
Conclusion
You may be entitled to get compensation for injuries suffered but how much are you really entitled to? In order to get full compensation for any injury suffered, whether by trial or out of court settlement, you must understand the full extent of liability. In order to understand the full extent of liability, contact an experienced personal injury attorney today. You can call for a consultation free of charge. Contact us here.