But one of the best things that you can do to help your recovery and your claim is to communicate. Our Santa Monica car accident injury lawyers encourage anyone who has been injured to communicate with everyone. The more you open up and talk about your situation, the more likely you are to learn how you can help yourself and how you can ensure that you maximize your physical and financial recoveries. Note: It is important to remember that communication with the at-fault party's insurance company should always be done by an attorney. Never speak with an insurance adjuster about the accident without first notifying a lawyer.
Take a look at the following instances of keeping lines of communication open by providing pertinent information, asking questions, and making sure to document the answers:
- ER staff: We have already established that it is imperative that you seek treatment immediately after an accident, which means visiting the nearest emergency room. Make sure to ask as many questions as possible and write down the answers. Provide the ER staff with as much information as you can on how the accident happened, any pre-existing conditions or previous accidents you may have had, as well as any allergies. Find out from them what additional medical treatment your injury will require and whether or not your family physician will be notified by the hospital.
- Your family care physician: Update your family doctor regularly on how you are feeling and any new symptoms you may be experiencing. If you are experiencing a change in your health, it is important to communicate this to your doctor immediately.
- Your attorney: Your attorney needs to know the good, the bad, and the ugly. Providing information like prior convictions or prior accident involvement to your lawyer from the very beginning will prevent him or her from finding out when it is too late to help you. Not only does the attorney-client privilege protect anyone else from finding out, but you should also remember that lawyers have seen and heard it all. They are not going to judge you on the mistakes you have made. But if your claim ends up going to trial, the at-fault party's insurance company will do everything it can to find out any "dirt" on you, portraying you as a worse person than you really are. By communicating these priors to your own lawyer, he or she can prepare for this and the defense needed.
- Your physical therapist: Many California car accident injury victims must undergo physical therapy or another form of rehabilitation after a car accident. And as you start to feel better, you may mistake that as a sign that their treatment is no longer needed. This is definitely not the case. Not only will you be robbing yourself of a full recovery, but you could also make the insurance company think that you were not injured enough to need full treatment.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Los Angeles car accident, contact the California injury accident lawyers at Steinberg. Call 1-800-350-8888 for your free copy of Seven Biggest Mistakes That Can Ruin Your California Injury Case. You can also fill out our online form to schedule a free case evaluation.
