For those making personal injury claims, it is tempting to leave it all up to the lawyer to handle everything. They are paid for their services, after all. But if you want to succeed with your claim, you really should provide them with all the help that they need. Here are some things you can do to assist them.
Always Be Honest with Your Lawyer
The first thing that you have to do is be honest with your lawyer. Many people like to clean things up when they tell their story to someone else. They want to be completely blameless. The problem is that your lawyer needs to know the full truth. They do not want the other side to suddenly spring a surprise on them in their case.
Full honesty means that you should not hide anything from them. If you were drinking or might be distracted when the accident happened, they need to know. They will then give advice based on the story you gave them. The effectiveness of the advice depends on your honesty.
Attend Your Medical Appointments
For personal injury cases, your lawyer needs your medical records from the accident. This will be the main proof that you had an injury and how bad it was. Going to the doctor as quickly as possible ensures that you have a complete record of your injuries. If possible, you might want to get an independent medical examiner to look your over. This ensures that whatever report you submit will not be questioned about bias.
Take note that this probably won’t be the only medical examination you will undergo. Your opponents might request more to be sure about your condition. Attend all of them to show that you are hiding nothing.
Hire Additional Help
If you want to make it easier for your attorney, you should be providing them with resources to get assistants and helpers. For example, your lawyer might need to send out subpoenas to multiple people. Instead of depending on mail, which is slow, you can release some funds to hire a subpoena server to do it. This can make it a lot easier for them since your lawyer can then be sure the subpoena recipients got them, and they can move on to other matters. Ask your attorney what they need to make their job easier and give it to them.
Listen to Their Advice
Your lawyer knows a lot more about the law than you do. Many people forget that and often try to do their own thing when it comes to pushing claims. This is most obvious when it comes to depositions. If your lawyer thinks that it is a good idea to practice for it, then you should listen. A deposition can be very stressful, and the opposing lawyer will try to trip you up. Practicing for it and listening to your lawyer’s advice about how to respond can only be good for your case.
Provide All the Paperwork They Need
Proving your personal injury claim will require a lot of evidence. Several pieces of paperwork need to be submitted or filled out. This includes insurance forms and additional documents. One of the more important ones is your medical report from the accident. When your lawyer requests you to fill something out, then be as honest as possible and give it back immediately. Other things they might need are a police report, witness statements, and more. Bills and invoices for your medical expenses can also prove that you spent a lot of money on the treatment. If this was a workplace-related accident, then you should throw in the work accident report. All of these will help your case to finish much more easily.
Don’t Be Impatient
While you might hope to resolve your personal injury claim quickly, the court can be slow. There are probably cases with higher priority. Additionally, the court will need to examine the evidence and even question you if necessary. This might take months to resolve. While this can be disappointing, you do not want the court to hurry your case. That may lead to an appeal from the other side. Be happy that the court is taking everything slowly to ensure that the claim is correct. If your lawyer did their job right, you could be assured of being able to get your claim soon.
A successful personal injury claim can be a big help for you. It allows you to pay off the medical bills and even help with additional expenses from your injuries. A good lawyer with a solid case should be able to get you a decent amount. Help them out, and you can increase the chances of your success.