Tips To Ready Yourself For Personal Injury Court

Posted on: 17 June 2020

Not all personal injury cases end up in front of a judge. In some cases, accident victims are able to negotiate with the at-fault driver's insurer and be paid a settlement rather than going to court. When that doesn't happen, it's best to be ready by following these tips.

Be Open and Honest

You and your personal injury lawyer share a unique relationship built on trust and honesty. The attorney-client privilege guarantees that you can say almost anything to your lawyer and they cannot breathe a word of it to anyone. The reason this is so important is that you have to tell your lawyer about any issues that might come in court. The other side will dig into your background and bring up all sorts of bad things and your lawyer needs to be ready to combat any allegations. For example, if you have ever been in an accident before, let the lawyer know. The other side could allege that your injuries were caused by that accident and not your most recent one. Letting your lawyer in on past issues lets them gather medical evidence showing that your injuries are not related to your past accident at all.

Be Careful When Out and About

Personal injury lawsuits can result in some serious money damages, and the other driver's insurer will pull out all the stops to make sure they don't have to pay you any compensation. You might find yourself the object of covert surveillance whenever you leave your home. Be aware that investigators will be photographing and taking video of you when you run errands, go to the doctor, or go to your child's softball game. They may be looking for you to do something you should be unable to do given your injuries. It's best to always be aware of what you are doing while in public.

Keep a Journal

It's best to start a pain journal early on in the process. Pain journals list your day-to-day problems that are connected to your injury. You might, for example, write in your journal about how difficult it is to attend to medical appointments when you cannot drive due to your injuries. It can be humbling and depressing to always be asking someone else to drive you places, and that feeling of helplessness can be factored into damages for pain and suffering. A pain journal describes your pain and suffering so that you can better remember and explain it to the judge and jury during your trial.

To find out more about getting ready to take the stand and be compensated, talk to an auto accident attorney.

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