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A Few Simple Things That Can Affect Your Settlement In A Personal Injury Lawsuit

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When you have been injured in any type of accident, there are a few simple things you may do or not do that will have an effect on how much money you will receive. While you do not want to seem greedy, you should not have your settlement reduced because of a simple mistake you made that had nothing to do with the injuries you received.

Failure to Hire a Personal Injury Law Firm

You may not want to hire legal advice because of the expense. You may feel that your insurance company will handle things for you. However, personal injury lawyers almost always receive their fees from the lawsuit, If you do not win anything they get no money. Hiring a lawyer does not mean that you will go through a lengthy trial, more often than not, personal injury lawyers settle out of court for an amount more than your insurance company would have arranged for you to receive.

Not Use an Ambulance To Go To the Hospital

It may be construed that your injury is not very serious and debilitating if you did not go to the hospital in an ambulance from the scene of the accident. It can be even worse for you if you did not go to the hospital immediately after the accident but waited a few hours or even days before realizing you were injured. Keep in mind it is not going to cost you anything to be taken in an ambulance. Even if the injuries are minor, the responsible party will have to pay for all medical bills. It is always best to take an ambulance and be thoroughly checked over as soon as possible.

Use Social Media

If you have social media accounts, you should quit posting to them for the duration of the case. Do not post about the accident, as you may give the wrong impression or say something that the responsible party can use to show you were partially at fault. In addition, do not post about what you are doing, such as posting about a party or other event you attended. Any time you make a post, especially one with pictures showing you are having a good time, the opposing party can use it to show that you are not in as much pain as you claim. If you are still socializing and having fun, you can't be hurt that bad.

Personal injury lawsuits can be tricky. You may win enough to cover all your medical expenses and any lost wages, but you know that does not make up for your pain and suffering. Do not do things that the other side can twist into evidence that you are not suffering. Consult with and hire a personal injury law firm, like Halverson & Sheehy, PLLC, and be wary of everything you do. You don't need a picture of you at a party going postal on the Internet.


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