Things You Must Tell Your Personal Injury Attorney

It is vital to your personal injury case that you be scrupulously honest with your personal injury attorney. Anything you say is confidential unless you agree that it can be disclosed.

You can be sure the insurance adjuster or opposing counsel will discover these things. If your lawyer knows about them before being confronted with them by the other side, he or she will be ready to dispute the allegations or explain them away. Here are a few things you need to be sure you share with your lawyer.

Disclose any previous accident injuries. The insurance adjuster will discover any previous accident injuries you have had and try to claim that it was that accident that is responsible for your current injuries.

Do you have a criminal history? Although a misdemeanor or felony conviction should not affect your case, depending on the nature of the offense, the insurance defense lawyer may try to use it against you in some way. Your lawyer needs to know to be ready for any allegation opposing counsel might make.

Do you have a bankruptcy in progress? If you have a bankruptcy in progress, your settlement from your personal injury case will be assets the bankruptcy trustee can use to pay your debtors. If your personal injury lawyer knows about your bankruptcy, the bankruptcy lawyer and your personal injury lawyer may be able to work together and possibly have a portion of the settlement go to you.

Are you in the process of divorce? A personal injury award is “generally” considered your separate property during a divorce. However, medical expenses and lost wage claims implicate issues involving community property. Additionally, if your spouse supported you when you could not work after your injury or contributed to your care, your spouse may have a claim for compensation. 

Have you had any injuries since the accident? Opposing counsel will try and say your problems now are due to the subsequent accident and not the one for which you are now seeking compensation.

The insurance company will try very hard to reduce the money they may have to pay you to compensate you for your injuries. If your personal injury attorney knows about these things, a winning strategy can be pursued.

The personal injury attorneys at Springer & Lyle can help you obtain the reasonable compensation you are entitled for your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other physical damage. Contact us at 940.387.0404 for a free consultation.