People find themselves in scenarios daily that could result in an accident or injury, either the result of someone else’s negligence or due to random circumstances. When the potential for liability falls on another individual, a Pennsylvania resident must consider their legal options.
Reaching out to a personal injury lawyer in Coatesville for consultation will let prospective clients know if a claim is viable. An attorney will expect to hear the facts of the case, see evidence supporting the claim, and view any pertinent documentation.
Too often, with the focus on financial compensation, victims attempt to push through the case quickly with resultant errors that instead make a claim more complex. When clients recognize the possibility of mistakes and how they can occur, they are less likely to jeopardize the case in these ways.
What should you not do in the pursuit of a personal injury case? Consider these suggestions.
What Do Personal Injury Lawyers Advise Clients Not to Do
Each day people are exposed to the potential for an accident or injury, often through no fault of their own. When someone else could be liable, the incident becomes a legal issue. Personal injury lawyers in the local Coatesville area consult with prospective clients to determine if cases are strong enough to pursue.
A problem is when people are too focused on the monetary settlement and push for the process to move quickly, resulting in mistakes. That only complicates the claim causing delays and possibly jeopardizing the outcome. Let us look at how a client can pose a detriment to their own case.
- Withholding the truth from the lawyer
A standard error with clients of personal injury lawyers is being dishonest. Many are intimidated by the process and lack confidence in their case. The individual will embellish the primary details to make a claim appear more viable.
In fact, these details ultimately affect the outcome but would primarily discern whether the case is worth pursuing. Withholding accurate information can sabotage your claim and put you in the “legal hot seat.”
The critical details of the case need to be disclosed with total honesty, including how you were injured, citing the individuals involved, and/or the circumstances that led to the incident.
When consulting with a personal injury lawyer, the attorney’s questions should be met with forthright, direct, and honest responses.
- Delay medical treatment
People often do not seek medical treatment immediately after an accident despite being hurt. Usually, with incidents like an auto collision, adrenaline is racing, a “shock response” to the event, and the injury effects are delayed.
To determine if you’re injured along with the severity and extent, it’s imperative to undergo medical intervention immediately. This initial documentation will also prove a critical element of the personal injury lawyer’s case, proving the claim’s validity.
If you were to wait until the symptoms begin to set in from the injuries, it might be a matter of days following the incident. That not only puts you at serious medical risk, but prolonged delays create questions as to whether the injuries being treated genuinely relate to the accident.
- Failing to provide documentation
Others will not always assume the role of gathering evidence when an incident occurs. You can document the scene in an effort to prove the details in the event you pursue a legal claim, increasing the odds of a positive outcome.
Key documentation includes witness statements, video and photos from the site, and medical documentation from the treatment of injuries, including treatment records and invoices. Gathering this information saves time and effort for the personal injury lawyer, plus saves expense from attempts at obtaining records.
In a severe accident where you are unable to document the scene, authorities will compile a police report detailing the incident. Your personal injury lawyer can access the report on your behalf.
- Delay seeking legal guidance
Many victims delay seeking advice from legal counsel. Whether procrastinating or lacking confidence in their case, it is unwise not to reach out for consultation immediately following an accident.
Pennsylvania, like all states, has a statute of limitations, meaning the claim must be filed within that time frame if you wish to pursue a personal injury case. A personal injury attorney in Coatesville can take you step-by-step through the details to ensure no personal liability, vital to establish. Go here for points on selecting the best professional for your case.
You may have been distracted immediately before the incident occurred, had the potential to avoid the accident if critical steps were taken, or should not have been there. If the lawyer finds these details accurate, it can mean you bear more liability for the incident, perhaps more so than the individual you’re claiming as the responsible party. The professional can gauge the claim’s validity when you reach out for an attorney consultation immediately following the accident.
Lawyers who specialize in personal injury will know straight away with a few pertinent questions whether the client bears any of the responsibility and if the case is worth pursuing. In that same vein, it is a critical meeting when you have the opportunity to have things explained that might be confusing, clarify the legal process, and receive relevant and vital resources.
Claims can proceed seamlessly and in a straightforward way, but that requires making wise decisions.
Final Thought
Primarily, a client needs to pursue a personal injury claim with a forthright, direct, and honest approach. Once all pertinent details are disclosed, the lawyer’s goal is to base decisions on the claimant’s best interest as the priority.
Avoiding the common mistakes could lead to a case meeting the time constraints of the statute of limitations and settling with a reasonable, fair outcome.
A personal injury claim settlement aims to ensure you have adequate funds to assist with getting your life, physical and mental wellness, and livelihood back to as close to the quality as it was before the incident. A step in that direction is consulting a personal injury lawyer sooner rather than later following the incident.