Your Personal Injury Attorney Needs to Know These 6 Things

Your Personal Injury Attorney Needs to Know These 6 Things

Your personal injury attorney in California may ask you some personal questions about your life if they have experience, knowledge, and are well-versed in handling cases such as yours. A better understanding of your life can often help your attorney decide how best to handle your case. It is important to have a solid client-attorney relationship, even if some information feels embarrassing or personal to you.

6 Things You Should Tell Your Personal Injury Lawyer

You should inform your personal injury lawyer about these things in order to ensure that you receive the best financial result possible. You’ll need to be honest with your lawyer when he or she asks you personal questions.

  • Prior Illnesses or Injuries

When you are the plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit, the opposing party’s lawyer will check your medical history. Because of this, you should immediately let your attorney know about any ailment you are currently suffering from, including any mental illnesses.

It is also possible for your case to include a “claim for emotional distress.” Your mental disorder may also have an impact on your case, for good or for bad. Your mental health should be discussed with your personal injury lawyer even if you feel it’s too personal.

If you have suffered chronic or previous injuries, you must tell your attorney about them, even if you believe they have nothing to do with your current affliction. Before you sustain your present injury, your attorney will need to know about your health. This is critical. It is possible that your attorney will attempt to link your current injury to past or chronic conditions. To defend against this type of lawsuit, your lawyer must be aware of any previous or ongoing injuries or diseases.

If you have a substance abuse problem, you should also let your personal injury lawyer know. Some may find this sensitive as well. But you need to tell your lawyer if you have substance abuse issues or if you have struggled with them in the past.

  • The Bankruptcy Situation

Bankruptcy can be a humiliating experience for some people. Nevertheless, it can’t be kept from your personal injury lawyer. That’s why it’s important. If you declare bankruptcy during your personal injury case, you may be able to keep your non-economic damages as an asset. States like California have such asset retention.

It is possible that you might not receive compensation for “pain and suffering.”. Perhaps your creditors will be able to collect it. It is important to notify your personal injury lawyer if you intend on filing for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy attorney and the personal injury lawyer must work together to determine the best set of exemptions for you.

  • Criminal Record

You should notify your personal injury attorney if you have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony. Your attorney will carry out a background check on you. Almost certainly, if you have been accused of something that can be construed as untrustworthy on your part, the opposing counsel will bring it up to discredit your credibility. 

You will have to provide information about your criminal history to your lawyer. It would be helpful for them to prepare you for potential questions in order to preserve your credibility as a witness. Additionally, if you lie under oath about any criminal accusations you’ve faced in the past, your case could be permanently lost.

  • Separation or Divorce

There are also many people who avoid talking about divorce. However, if you’re in the middle of a personal injury case and want to divorce, you should inform your attorney. For one thing, your lawyer might want to have your spouse deposed during the trial. There is a possibility that your spouse harbors grudges against you, and if those grudges are brought up in court, your case could be jeopardized.

Your attorney may be able to factor in your injury as the reason for your divorce (such as your inability to work or a change in your conduct caused by your injury) if your divorce was precipitated by your injury. Last but not least, your settlement may be split between you and your spouse. During your personal injury case, you must inform your attorney if you are divorcing.

  • Keeping No Record of Your Tasks

Some people are reluctant to divulge information about their off-book activities. You should notify your personal injury lawyer if you do so, however. Your personal injury lawyer will need to know whether or not your job pays “off the books” so that they can determine how to recover your lost wages. If your job pays “off the books,” recovering your lost wages will be difficult for your attorney.

  • Health Insurance or Medicare

You must notify your personal injury lawyer immediately if Medicaid or Medicare-covered your medical expenses due to your injury. The case will likely take longer to resolve if you don’t. You will have to work around your insurance’s deadlines in order to obtain information about the lien through your personal injury attorney.

During your consultation with Deldar Legal Injury Attorneys, these subjects will be discussed. Regardless of whether a subject is too personal, it is important to always tell your attorney the truth. Attorneys are required to maintain client confidentiality.

 

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Posted in: Personal Injury

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