Some people quickly fall into the role of playing victim and become overconfident of their personal rights. They aspire to forge ahead with a lawsuit, claiming that the public or an employer should be held liable for a slip and fall. They have to realize, though, that before they ask a personal injury attorney to file claims on their behalf, they should first make sure that the claim they present to their attorney is the whole truth. Withholding important information, hiding medical background, and selectively denying the real cause of the accident are only some of the common pitfalls which could lead to a slip and fall personal claim being denied or rejected in court.
Withholding information
The last person you should withhold information from is your personal injury attorney. Here’s the person who will work in your best interest and you’re out to fool him? He’d be the first to detect if there are any inconsistencies in your story even before it reaches the court. Don’t inconvenience him with a jumble of truth and lies. If you want to convince him of your sincerity and credibility, start by being honest in your dealings. Gain the respect of a personal injury attorney, and he will gain you all the claims you do deserve, whether he’s working pro bono or for a fee.
Hiding your background
Never hide your background from your personal injury attorney. If it is of a personal nature like your income or tax records, your credit history, or the state of your finances, a background check could always be made by insurance companies, and it can only work for or against you. You could only hold up what your personal injury attorney could win hands down.
Neither should you hide any detail of your medical history from your personal injury attorney. Inform him beforehand on your past illnesses and surgeries. Are there bone and muscle diseases, brain and nervous system disorders related to coordination and balance, or problems with a weakness in any part of your body, like your eyes and your legs? Give him access to results of medical check-ups and findings on your state of overall health before and at the time of your accident. Your personal injury attorney can then set out to prove the ill effects that the slip and fall accident had on your good health.
Be open with your social history if you’ve had case of alcohol or substance abuse. Don’t let the prosecution dig up dirt on your person. The only digging left to be done now would be how come a wet, unmopped floor in your work area did not have safety warning devices and how come a manhole or construction work was left unattended and unmarked on a public pavement causing you to slip and fall?
Accidents do happen. The sooner you have a doctor check you, the better. The sooner you file it, the more legitimate it will be. The sooner you tell your personal injury attorney the whole truth, the sooner he can figure out how to help you and win the case for you.