Attorney At Law

An Automobile Accident Attorney may well remind you that car insurance companies are in the business of making money, and not necessarily to pay their policyholders’ claims. To make sure that you receive the full benefits of a claim for personal injury or property damage, an automobile accident attorney recommends that you follow a few important rules.

First get complete information at the scene of the accident. Failing to get important information at the scene can conceivably ruin your case. If you fail to get names and addresses of everyone involved, it puts you at a considerable disadvantage in determining fault and what and how much insurance benefits might be available. If you don’t get the information about the cars involved while you are present at the scene, you may not be able later. Sometimes a surveillance camera or a 911 tape may record the scene, but these tapes and videos are often recorded over and the documentation forever lost within days. Therefore, the sooner the accident is investigated, the better. A car accident lawyer knows that the more time that passes, the more evidence that disappears, never to be recovered.

Never wait to see a doctor, even if you only think you may be hurt. See a doctor, period. All injuries caused by the car accident must be confirmed with evidence. This means a doctor, EMT, or other medical provider has documented your symptoms and advised treatment. If you wait to seek treatment or help from a medical professional, it implies that you weren’t injured and raises questions with the insurance company as to whether you were hurt at all.

Don’t magnify your symptoms. One of the most important aspects in your case is how you present yourself as a witness. Will the arbitrator or jury believe you and what you say? Your story must be supported by evidence. That usually means that your claims are in line with the assessments of your treatment providers. Otherwise, the jury may conclude that you are pretending or exaggerating. A jury will be especially harsh to a plaintiff whom they sense to be playing them for money.

Be totally truthful with your automobile accident attorney. Nearly every facet of your life will be investigated once you claim damages for bodily injury. This includes your lifestyle, background, work history, medical history, and family life. Your attorney will not appreciate any surprises. It is difficult to protect you from something unless he knows about it. The time to expose a criminal conviction or a mark in your work history is not when you’re being examined at trial. It is very important that you are candid and direct with your attorney. An insurance company lawyer will dig for details during discovery and damaging information will probably come out at some point. Insurance companies have teams of lawyers and endless resources to discover everything about you. Your automobile accident attorney will be able to handle those challenges as long as he or she knows about them.

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