A lot goes into being the best Los Angeles personal injury lawyer. It means that our lawyers can go into a courtroom and come out with as much compensation as you deserve. However, not that many personal injury cases go to trial. Many are figured out at the negotiation table. So, to be the best, we have to be good there, too. Through negotiation, we’ve gotten our clients millions in settlement money. We take great pride in getting our clients the money they deserve for everything they’ve been through, no matter what route we had to take in getting it for them. Beyond that, we can also offer the best advice to anyone who’s trying to do everything they can to maximize their compensation.
No one’s every really prepared to be injured. Even the calmest, most even-keeled and upbeat person is going to be unnerved by being in an injury. That’s natural, that’s human, that’s the way it is for everyone. Some react better than others, but as our Los Angeles personal injury attorney team can tell you, you have to be easy on yourself. You’re going to be hurt, you’re going to be vulnerable, and you’re going to be facing challenges you never have before. That’s why it’s so critical to give yourself time to recover and time to heal without being too hard or rough with yourself.
By that same token, there are some things you can do to make sure that you aren’t doing anything to actively hurt the possibility of getting the most compensation that you can deserve. You don’t want to look back on this time years from now and feeling regret over doing something that hurt you getting as much money as possible. Remember, the compensation you get for suffering an injury is for you, yes, but it’s also for everyone that’s by your side. The people in your life that count on you, that depend on you, that are by your side every step of the way – they’re in this with you, too. You want to make sure that you’re doing everything to protect your compensation for them, too.
That’s why one thing our team of attorneys always recommends to be clients is be careful about what you say about your case. That’s one of the easiest, smallest ways to hurt your own compensation. Be careful who you talk to, what you talk about, and so forth. You might feel like you want to talk about it with everyone in your life, but that's just not a good idea. It’s natural to want to vent about this, to be able to say everything you can about it, but that’s not going to help your case, at best. At worst, venting about it can actually hurt your case.
Obviously, you can talk about your case with your personal injury attorney. After that, it gets murkier. You certainly don’t want to talk about the case with your insurance adjuster and opposing counsel, etc. Those are givens. No good comes of talking to them about it, unless your attorney is present. We can be there to help guide you through the process, so that you don’t end up making a mistake that you’re going to regret later. The last thing you want to do is to slip up just a bit in a way that can lessen your compensation. If you have more questions about personal injury law, the American Bar Association has some pointers here.
Every lawyer on our team wants all of our clients (and potential clients) to be very careful in what they say about their case on social media. You can’t ever think that what you say there is only going to go out to the people following you; it’s actually going to go out to so many more people than that. The other side can see it, and they might be able to make some “hay while the sun is shining” with it, so to speak. You don’t want to give them that kind of opportunity, because they could take any little thing and turn it towards their advantage.
It’s far too easy to make a mistake in this fashion. What makes it so pernicious is that if it happens to you, it might not feel like a mistake. Say that you hurt your leg in an accident. You’re doing everything you can to help your leg recover, though: you’re following your doctor’s advice, you’re taking your medications, and you’re getting better. One day, some friends come over, and you watch a movie or a sporting event. Someone takes a video or has a picture of you standing with your pals. It’s a nice picture or photo for you, but it’s the kind of thing that the insurance company could potentially be looking for.
They might be able to use that photo to say “well, they couldn’t have really been that hurt or they wouldn’t be jumping around with pals while watching TV.” This could feel ridiculous to you, as all you were doing was standing up while with your friends. You had been working hard to make sure that you can stand up, but this one picture could make it a little more difficult upon your attorney. That’s an extreme example, but it can happen. Before you post anything about your case on social media (or really, post anything on social media) be sure to ask yourself if it’s the right thing to do.
Every insurance company uses different tactics to try and get people to take less money than their claim is worth. Some are more egregious and obvious than others. For example, some insurance companies may make an offer to you very quickly after you’ve been injured. In some cases, people have heard from the insurance company that same day. There’s a reason for that, and it’s not because they want to give you your money as quickly as they can. When the insurance company contacts your right after the accident, it’s because they know that you’ll be vulnerable at that time.
They have a tried and true model that shows if the insurance company gets to people quickly; they’ll tend to take less money than their claim is worth. The reason for this is simple: after an accident, people are vulnerable. They’re hurting, they’re sad and scared. They’re liable to do things that are out of character that might hurt them in the long run. That’s why when someone’s been injured; they sometimes sign an immediate offer from the insurance company. On some level, they might even realize that it’s less than their claim is worth, but at least it’s something.
We always mention to clients that when the insurance companies gives you something, be skeptical. Don’t just accept it. The best thing you can do for yourself and your potential compensation is to make sure that an attorney looks at anything the insurance company gives you. Don’t sign it until the insurance company looks at it first. There’s no upside to signing something from the insurance company quickly, and there’s plenty of downsides. They just want to make sure that you get less money than you deserve, indeed, that’s what all their actions are driving towards.
Perhaps your insurance company has said something like “you don’t need to hire a Los Angeles personal injury attorney.” Little could be further from the truth. While an insurance company makes money when you don’t get any, our lawyers work in the exact opposite way. In fact, we get only get money when you get money. Once you’re paid, we are, too. To schedule a free consultation with us, all you have to do is call us at (818) 240-1800 or head to our website.