Filing a personal injury claim is potentially one of the most complex legal cases you will ever face. There is a lot of room for interpretation in personal injury cases, which makes it important to have a reliable and skilled attorney to help you navigate the process. In addition to having a solid legal support team, there are a few things that you should keep in mind after an injury. Here are some tips to help you preserve the integrity of your case and avoid costly mistakes.
Don't Discount Pre-Existing Conditions
Despite the fact that having a pre-existing condition won't exclude you from filing and winning a personal injury case, it's important that you acknowledge the existence of the condition from the beginning. Tell your attorney clearly which injuries resulted from the accident and what could be identified as a pre-existing condition.
The more clarity your attorney has about this, the easier it will be to present the information in court. The other party is certain to research your medical history, so you'll want to make sure that your attorney is the first one to bring up any pre-existing injuries. Otherwise, it may look as though you're being dishonest.
Keep Your Care Consistent
After an injury, you'll have to obtain medical care. It's important that you seek out a qualified doctor or team of doctors whom you can see from the beginning who will guide you through your recovery. Keeping your care focused in a single clinic as much as possible ensures that all of your records about the accident are kept in a central location.
Don't skip appointments, either. This makes it seem as though you might not really need the care. It's in your best interest to not only make every appointment that your doctor schedules, but also fill any prescriptions and keep up with at-home stretches and therapy.
Visiting multiple doctors may make it seem as though you are seeking out a doctor who will give you the diagnosis you're looking for. It also increases the risk that you might have something important overlooked, costing you vital time in your recovery or leaving you with lasting damage.
Be Mindful of Your Behavior
One of the things that's often hardest for people who file personal injury lawsuits is the idea that the other party may be watching them. It's in your best interest to go into the process with the expectation that you're being monitored by the defendant, if for no other reason than an effort to disprove your injury.
As a result, you need to remember to be mindful of your actions. If the lawn needs to be mowed, call someone to come do it. Even if you're willing to suffer through the pain and deal with the several days of discomfort afterward, a single picture of you mowing the lawn if you're recovering from an ambulatory injury is all you need to discredit your case. Don't do anything that your doctors have advised that you avoid. Remember that your every decision can affect the case, so be cautious.
With the information presented here, you can approach your personal injury case with the understanding of how to protect yourself. Avoid these mistakes so that you don't cost yourself valuable time and money in court. Talk with an attorney like those at A Affordable Attorney Gerling Law Group and keep these tips in mind before you file your personal injury case.
Share27 February 2015
Were you injured at work and fighting to get the workers compensation that you have paid into each year? Sometimes, getting those payments can be very difficult. What do you do when an employer fights the claim? Do you need a lawyer to help you through the process? How will you pay for a lawyer if you cannot even pay your electric bill? You are probably as lost as I was when I went through the process. Fortunately, you can learn from my experience with the system and find the answers to many of the questions that you have about filing a workers comp claim and fighting the system when it is denied.
