Working with a personal lawyer to seek compensation for damages after an accident can be a complicated process. A skilled and experienced lawyer may ask some personal questions about you, your life, and work. Although these questions may seem intrusive, and you may have second thoughts about revealing such sensitive information to a stranger, understand that this information can help your lawyer create a strategy for reaching a favorable outcome in your case. Below are a few examples of personal questions you can expect.
- Medical History, Specifically Previous Injuries and Illnessses
- Financial Health
- Criminal Record
In a personal injury case, you can expect the opposing party’s lawyer and insurance company to conduct a thorough background check of your medical history. You need to be upfront with your lawyer to help him/her prepare for any attacks to your medical history. If your lawyer is caught by surprise, your claim may be compromised due to the opposing party deflecting or reducing their liability for the accident.
A history of bankruptcy is obviously embarrassing to many people, but you can’t afford this kind of information from your personal injury lawyer. For example, if your filing of bankruptcy happens in the middle of your case, any non-economic damages may be treated as an asset of your estate. In short, you may not receive any money serving as compensation for your injuries, which will go to your creditors instead. Your lawyer can prevent this issue.
You should also disclose any record of felonies or misdemeanors to your lawyer, which the opposing camp may use against you. These records will almost always come up in a background check, so your lawyer needs to be able to block any attempt to discredit you as a witness and victim. For more tips and advice on how to handle your personal injury case, talk to the legal team of Barrus Injury Lawyers. Call us at (210) 593-8709 to schedule a FREE no-obligation consultation.
