How Can I Win My San José Accident Case?
If you got hurt in an accident, you may wonder;
How can I make my accident case stronger?
Read on to learn more.
Consult with an attorney
The first thing you should do, after calling 911 and seeking medical attention, is consult with a good attorney for your accident case. The truth is that hiring an attorney is the only way to know you are obtaining the maximum for your accident case. But, did you know that besides hiring the right attorney, you actually play an important part in the results of your accident case?
Here are some things you can do to try and help your own accident case:
Stay away from social media
It's best to stay away from Facebook, Whatsapp, TikTok, Tumblr, and Youtube. This means don't post anything on social media while your accident case is pending. You may wonder:
Why is it bad to post on social media after an accident case?
Insurance companies want to pay you as little as possible for your serious injury claim and look for ways to not pay you at all. Social media is a landmine that can derail and even destroy your serious personal injury case. The insurance company, their attorneys, and investigators, may dig into your personal life by rummaging through all of your social media accounts. They will hunt for anything to use against you, with the goal of ruining your case. This is why it's really best to not use social media until your serious personal injury case is fully and completely resolved.
Always be honest with your attorney
Share all the facts with your attorney. This even includes things that might be embarrassing, uncomfortable, or that you think might not be important. Some accident victims hide things from their attorney because they are embarrassed, scared, or think that sharing that particular thing is not important. Here's the problem - something that you think is unimportant may actually be very important to your case. By not telling your attorney everything, your attorney will lose their chance to do their best for you.
Anything you tell your attorney in confidence about what already happened is protected under the attorney-client privilege. By being honest with your attorney, you reduce the chance that your attorney will be surprised by finding out these things from other sources. And through your honesty, your attorney can do their best for you because they know all the good and bad things about your case.
Respond to your attorney
During the time that your accident case is pending with your attorney, you will receive communications from your attorney. They may request your response and/or documents. Be sure to respond to your attorney because that's the only way they can do their best to fight your case. If your attorney asks you for something, provide it on time. If your attorney asks you to do something, do it without delay. Understand that your attorney has your best interests at heart. Failing to timely respond, and fully cooperate, with your attorney, will have negative consequences which can hurt or even destroy your case.
Feel free to ask questions to your attorney
Your attorney is your champion, here to fight for you. You both want to obtain the maximum possible for your injury case. If you have any questions about what your attorney says or does on your case, make sure to ask them.
Trust and listen closely to your doctor
Follow your doctor's orders. Don't miss doctor's appointments, cancel them, show up late, or fail to do what the doctor tells you to do. For example, if your doctor says to take time off from work, but you keep working, that sends a negative message to the insurance. If you don't take your medical care seriously, the insurance may think you are not injured, or that your injuries are not as severe as you claim.
And, if you don't follow your doctor's orders, miss doctor's appointments, cancel them, show up late, or don't follow their instructions, then you are not doing everything you reasonably can to recover from your injuries. This will negatively impact both your health and the value of your accident case.
Keep track of all your expenses, even the minor ones
Did you know that when it comes to personal injury cases, an attorney has to prove all your expenses, even the small ones? This is why you should keep expense records related to the accident. Here are some examples of expense records you should give your attorney:
- Ambulance bills
- Doctor bills
- Health insurance letters and bills
- Home health care
- Hospital bills
- Medical supplies (braces, crutches, etc.)
- Over the counter medications
- Prescription receipts
- Rental car
- Uber or Lyft to the doctor's office
Try to be patient
An attorney's job has to be done thoroughly to be done right. For example, in a wrongful death case, police reports, photos, videos, medical records, medical bills, and more, have to be obtained and studied. Sometimes a lawsuit needs to be filed, experts need to be hired and investigators need to do a time-consuming investigation.
The truth is that it takes time for a good attorney to carefully handle an accident case. This is why it's important to try and be patient while your case is pending. A good attorney will communicate with you when they have news to share with you. Until then, you should trust that they know how to do their job and will do their best for you.
What's Your Final Tip For Injured People?
Please talk to an attorney before you do anything besides: calling 911 and seek medical care. My name is Renée Yvonne Gardner. I am the attorney at Gardner Law. I speak Spanish - hablo español.
The information on this page applies to people who got hurt in ALL of the 12 Counties Where I Work, including Santa Clara County.
I have experience with personal injury and wrongful death accident. If you had an accident or got bitten by a dog, reach out to me here: message me here.
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I am located in Santa Clara County but I represent injured people in these 12 California Counties:
○ Alameda County ○ Contra Costa County ○ Fresno County ○ Marin County ○ Merced County ○ Monterey County ○ San Benito County ○ San Francisco County ○ San Joaquin County ○ San Mateo County ○ Santa Clara County ○ Santa Cruz County