You’ve been hurt by someone else’s negligence and are seeking money compensation from her, his, or its insurance company. Much of what will be used to prove the other side’s negligence and your damages may already have happened once the negligent act occurs. However, even after you get hurt, there are things you can do to increase the value of your compensation claim. As a trial lawyer handling personal injury cases for over 15 years, here are a few of the things I’ve seen that can do this.
1. Find what information is on the internet about you and make your social media accounts private.
Almost everyone has some sort of personal information on the internet. Some of that information you can control, such as with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. For the sources you can control, make sure you limit the information the public can see as much as possible. Even if you don’t think you’ve posted anything bad on the internet or social media, its always better to keep that stuff private and out of your personal injury claim.
2. Don’t miss any doctor’s appointments and if you must, always call and let them know.
Defense attorneys (those on the other side of your case) will always get a copy of your medical records. If the records say you missed appointments, they will use that against you to say you’re not as hurt as you claim. You can prevent this, and help prove your injuries, by not skipping out on your medical care.
3. Know all the facts about your case.
Someone who is well-informed about the nature of their case and all the facts that both support and oppose it is more likely to get a better settlement offer. They are also more likely to win a jury trial if the case doesn’t settle. This is because being well-informed is more trustworthy and shows you are invested and interested in the outcome of your case.
For more information, check out our Personal Injury Guides and my post on the Top 5 Things That Affect Case Value If you’d like to learn more about what you can do to help your case, please feel free to reach out to us for a free consultation. We’re happy to help.