A major part of being an accident injury attorney involves representing the client in a court of law. It’s a great opportunity to stand up for the client we’ve been working so hard for to make sure that they get everything they deserve. However, that’s not all that being a lawyer who specializes in these kinds of cases entails. In fact, it’s so much more than that. Most cases are resolved before going to court, for one thing. Another great part of this job is being able to give people advice that can help make their case experience go so much better.
Someday, maybe we’ll write a book of accident injury attorney advice. In the interim, these articles will have to do. If you want to know more about what our injury attorneys can do for you, give us a call. Or, you can go through our website. Either is a great way to schedule a free consultation with us. We love sitting down with new people and getting to know them. From there, we can figure out how we can best help your case moving forward.
One of the best things about being an accident injury attorney is getting to share our experience with people in a time of need. After being hurt in an accident, no one’s really at their best. It’s a genuinely jarring experience that, even if it goes mildly and you’re left relatively unhurt, can have lasting consequences. We know that no one ever is ever prepared to be hurt in an accident. It’s the last thing anyone thinks is going to happen to them when they leave their home. However, it does happen, every day.
The point of an attorney is to handle your lawsuit so that you can get compensation for everything that you’ve been through. Most people think that their compensation is just for injuries they sustained during the accident. That’s what much of it is, but that’s not all of it. Emotional damages can occur. You can get money that makes up for the “lost wages” you missed out on at work because you were recovering from the accident. In some cases, people that are hurt in an accident cant’ go back to their jobs. Or, they can, but they can only perform them in a reduced capacity. In that case, we can help you to get compensation for the earnings you would have made had there not been an injury.
Social media is a major part of everyone’s life now. Even if you do everything you can to not be on it, someone you know is on it. As far as social media goes, our attorneys would always recommend saying as little as possible about your accident on there. In fact, maybe don’t even mention it. If you want to post something that you’ve gone to the hospital after an accident or something, that’s OK. Think of it like what you would say to the insurance claims adjuster: you wouldn’t say anything that could be misconstrued; you just want to give the facts.
That’s the biggest problem with people who’ve been hurt in an accident posting on social media: they say things that can be used against them later on. For example, say that your leg was hurt in an accident. You go to the hospital to get stitched up, you head home, and you begin the healing process. You hire an attorney; they go about representing you in an injury lawsuit. One night, as you’re feeling better, you head to a friend’s party. There, you stand up to hug your friend. Someone takes a picture and puts it on social media. This seems like a friendly, wonderful, and frankly kind of inspiring thing to do, but it can be weaponized against you quickly.
The other side can see this social media post, and then argue: “look, they’re standing up! They couldn’t have been that injured if they were able to stand and hug their friend!” This is, of course, ridiculous. Maybe you had to work up to that to be able to stand and hug your friend. Perhaps you’d been practicing for a while. Maybe it was just an image that caught less than an instant, and then you plopped back down again, exhausted. However, that’s just the small opening that the insurance company needs. That’s all they require to sow those seeds of doubt.
That’s another great piece of accident injury attorney advice: don’t give the other side anything they can use against you. With the high stakes and potential big money of an injury accident case, there’s a lot on the line. Not just for you; for the other side as well. They’re going to be looking for any small advantage they can, and they’re willing to twist anything to their advantage. Worse still, they have the resources of an insurance company behind them. So, that means they can bring in the best investigators, analysts, lawyers and more on their side.
That’s another reason you need a law firm like the LA Injury Group working for you: we can match the resources of the insurance company. When they bring in investigators, we bring in investigators. When they have analysts, we have analysts. They have great attorneys; we have a successful track record of beating insurance companies in court. Better still, we have an extensive track record of getting clients the compensation they deserve in negotiation. No matter what stage your case is at, we can help you from the beginning through a successful completion.
One great way to help your personal injury case is to make sure you go to every single medical appointment you have. Don’t skip any of them. Even as you start to feel better, and get back to your living your life the way you want to live it, don’t skip any of them. This is critical, as these appointments are important for many reasons. First off, your health: your health is the most important part of this entire process. Returning you to your health is what your main focus should be on, first, last and always.
However, on top of that, not going to medical appointments is just that small opening the insurance company needs. It can be just enough of a crack for them to weaken your case. All they need is something small to sow that doubt that your injuries are as bad as they actually are. When you don’t show up to medical appointments, the other side can say: “see? They can’t be hurt that badly. They didn’t even go to the doctor’s, geez. Obviously, they’re faking.” Perhaps they won’t use that same language, maybe they’ll fancy it up with some legalese, but in the end, that’s what they’re going to say.
So, as with much of this, don’t give them the opportunity. Don’t let the insurance company take your potential compensation away from you. By that same token, follow the advice from your medical professionals. They’re telling you what to do for a reason. Take what they tell you to take and do what they tell you to do. You’ll help your body and you’ll help your case. In the long run, both will be much better off.
Looking for more advice about how to help your case? We’d love to discuss it with you in person. You can set that up by calling us at (818) 240-1800 or scheduling a meeting through our website. Remember, all of our consultations are 100% free. You shouldn’t have to pay just to talk to an attorney. We love to sit down with folks and see how we can help them with their injury case.