How To Ruin Your New York Injury Attorney’s Day

Following is a list of seven things you either should or shouldn’t do immediately following an accident and during any proceedings that invole your New York accident lawyers. Failure to comply with these guidelines could hurt the case your New York injury attorney is building.

1. Contacting the Legal Eagles Before the Medical Saint Bernard is Even There. You can’t be hurt that badly if your first thought is of a lawsuit rather than getting patched up. This is what the defense attorney is going to use against you if he discovers that you hired a Long Island personal injury attorney before you decided to see a doctor for treatment (And this is easily revealed with medical and court records).

2. Visiting a Doctor Who is Not an M.D. Don’t get me wrong. Chiropractors and physical therapists definitely have their place in the healing profession and will likely be of great help to you. For legal purposes, however, the medical doctor and anything he recommends or reports has much more bearing on the case than any other member of the medical industry. Your lawyer’s job is going to persuade jurors to believe that your injuries are real. Testimony from a medical doctor is going to be more persuasive than an acupuncturist.

3. Always Take Photographs of the Accident. Always get photos of the accident. Better yet – let someone else take pictures for you. With technology the way it is today (Digital cameras, cell phone cameras), it should be no trouble at all for you or someone with you to get photos of the accident. In the same vein, take plenty of pictures of your injury over time as it heals. The more pictures the better. Never have I heard an automobile accident attorney lament the fact that he has too many pictures from his client. The only lawyer you’ll hear complaining is the one on the other side whose client has to pay out more because you gave your attorney plenty of ammunition. Jurors want to see the accident from start to finish. Seeing is believing, after all.

4. Take Down Statements at the Accident. If you or the other party is injured, call an ambulance. If not, engage other drivers in conversation. Record everything the other driver tells you, especially if he’s apologetic about the whole matter or he appears intoxicated. Record the condition of the other driver’s car and your own. Look for possible driver distractions such as food, drink, cosmetics, reading material, etc. Obtain the other driver’s insurance information and cell phone number. Record the exact time of the accident. Never give your health anything but top priority! If you’re injured, get another to gather all of the mentioned information. Once the ambulance arrives, go with them without delay and get to the hospital. Don’t think about hiring a car wreck lawyer until after you’ve been treated.

5. Always Follow Up With Medical Visits. How badly you were injured determines the amount of money you’ll receive in a lawsuit. The severity of the injury is determined by a jury in three ways: firstly, the pain exhibited by the injury. Any permanent effects of the injury will be the second factor, and these include such items as scarring, limited range of motion, total dismemberment, and so forth. Third, the economic impact of your injury – such as loss wages, damage to your car or property. The last item is rather simple to discover. Without comprehensive medical files to back up your claims, it will be impossible to determine the extent of the first two factors. Your credibility diminishes severely when you don’t follow up with your doctor.

6. Loose Lips Sink Ships, and Lawsuits Too. Remember that you don’t have to talk to anybody when involved in legal proceedings. Always direct the insurance attorneys and adjusters to your lawyer rather than speak to them directly. Their whole point in contacting you is to get you to settle for the smallest amount of money. Everything you say to them is being recorded. The less you say, the better.

7. Don’t Exaggerate or Fake an Injury. This has to be the absolute worst thing you can do. The jury expects proof when a specific injury is claimed. If it can’t be proven, the defense will use this against you the rest of the trial. You’ll be scrutinized far more closely as a result of this, and your credibility will be shot. The job of your motor vehicle accident lawyer just turned into an uphill battle.

The law offices of Charles R. Gueli supply some of the greatest New York accident lawyers available. Go to their site and get a Long Island personal injury attorney to assist you soon!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.