If you recently hired a lawyer to represent you in a personal injury case there are a few rules that you need to follow in order to avoid damaging your case. Let’s say that you slipped and fell at a restaurant, or you got in a car accident where you think the other person was negligent. Now you want to recoup some of those damages so you can fix your car or pay for the medical bills.
How can you ensure that you don’t damage your case by speaking too much or talking to the wrong people besides your lawyer?
Don’t Ever Sign Something Before Hiring a Lawyer
If you get in an accident, there’s a chance that a large team of legal professionals is working together to make sure you don’t get paid anything. In this case they might actually try to contact you and make you sign something that works against you in court. These documents can be drawn up to make you look foolish or negligent compared to the other person who is actually negligent. Avoid signing these documents at all cost until you get a lawyer of your own.
Don’t Speak With the Other Party’s Lawyer
The other party might actually try to send their lawyer in to speak with you. If another lawyer is trying to talk to you and you are not sure if that person is your lawyer, don’t say a word. Speaking to an attorney who is representing another party can lead you to say something that can be held against you in court or arbitration. Simply refrain from speaking to any of these lawyers until you get your own lawyer. When you do have your own lawyer you can direct all communications to that particular lawyer. They will handle everything for you and you don’t have to speak to anyone.
Don’t Ever Speak to the Negligent Party
One of the most tempting things to do when in a personal injury case is to speak to the other party. You might be interested in getting personal information, or the other party might even be someone you know. If you think the other party was negligent, then you should avoid talking to them until the case is completely closed. Your lawyer’s job is to speak with all other parties including other lawyers and their clients.
Let us know in the comments section if you have ever been in a personal injury case. Did you immediately contact a personal injury lawyer? Did you hurt your own case by speaking with the other party’s lawyers or signing something that you shouldn’t have? Share your experiences below and let us know if there any other methods that you can use to avoid hurting your case and decreasing the amount of money that you can receive in or out of court.
The Villarreal & Begum, LAW GUNS dedicates their time and effort towards helping people in Texas find justice for personal negligence encountered while living their normal, everyday lives.