Anyone who has ever been involved in a complicated car accident understands how taxing the aftermath can be. In addition to recovering from injuries and missing key time at work, you might also be trying to navigate through a lawsuit with the help of your lawyer. Although you might be tempted to walk away from your lawsuit and fire your attorney, giving up won't get you anywhere. Here are two ways to streamline your case, so that you can relax while your attorney takes care of business:
1: Be Patient; Due Diligence Takes Time
If you are like most people, you might assume that working with a lawyer will speed things up. While it is true that a trained lawyer can help you to avoid delays and frustrating hassles, even the best attorney will need to spend a little time researching the facts of your case. Before they can start filing paperwork and fighting with the insurance company on your behalf, your lawyer might need to take care of these things:
- Police Reports: In addition to finding an original copy of the police report, your lawyer might also try to discuss the information with the police officer or understand the circumstances surrounding the accident. For example, if there were traffic cameras in the area, your lawyer might try to access the footage to use in court.
- Witness Statements: If a little time has elapsed since the date of your accident, witnesses may have changed their phone numbers, moved, or even passed away. If this is the case for your accident, your attorney might find himself or herself searching for people or reading secondary accounts of the incident.
- Expert Witnesses: When the details matter, experts can be incredibly helpful during a car accident case. For example, an automotive attorney might be called in to analyze the condition of the car the other driver was riding in, or asked to inspect tire patterns. However, experts can have busy schedules, which can delay things.
Before you get frustrated about your settlement timeline, talk with your lawyer about the status of your case. For example, are you waiting for expert witnesses to submit a report, or is your lawyer trying to track down a witness? Instead of getting frustrated, try to understand the process and stay patient.
2: Listen To Your Attorney
Although it might be easy to sit back and let your lawyer do all the work, a successful court settlement is a joint effort. The things that you do and say as you file suit can make or break your case. To streamline your lawsuit, always listen to your attorney. Here are a few things your attorney might advise you to do, and why they are important:
- Social Media: After a bad car accident, you might be tempted to spread the word about your bum insurance company or complain about the other drivers on social media. Unfortunately, since social media posts are considered public domain, they can be used against you in court.
- Doctor's Appointments: When you start to feel better, you might be tempted to skip out on doctor's appointments or stop taking medication. Unfortunately, since personal injury lawsuits focus on determining damages related to your accident, failure to care for your injuries could delegitimize your case.
To stay on the safe side, always consult with your attorney before you make important statements or decisions about any treatment tied to your car accident.
Although it might seem difficult to stick it out during your lawsuit, a little endurance can really pay off later. Believe it or not, people who choose to work with lawyers after a car accident typically receive three and a half times more money than people who try to handle their case on their own. Take your recovery day by day, stay patient, and trust your personal injury attorney.
