When you first meet with your Florida personal injury attorney, you will be asked many questions that deal with many different issues. Many of these questions may deal directly with your accident and injuries, while others may seem unrelated and possibly even irrelevant to your claim. Because of this, many people often selectively give their attorney the information that he/she deems relevant or important to their case. This is a mistake!
An insurance company’s best defense to a personal injury claim is an accident victim who has been less than candid in providing information or, worse yet, has provided inaccurate information. Insurance companies love to make the victim’s credibility as a primary issue in every case. This is true even if the information at issue is irrelevant to your claim. If you fail to give your attorney all the information that he/she asks for, your attorney will be unable to prevent this from happening.
What Information Should I Give to My Personal Injury Attorney
Although your attorney will likely ask you for a lot of information, some important information you will want to share with your attorney includes:
Prior accidents
Prior injuries
Prior hospitalizations
All medical providers seen as a result of the accident
All medical providers seen during the course of the prior 10 years
Prior criminal history
Subsequent accidents
A common mistake many people make in providing this information is simply relying upon their memory. That is not good enough. A personal injury claim is not a memory test, but an exchange of information. When sharing this information, it’s important to be as complete and accurate as possible, even if that means going back through your records or contacting your prior medical providers for the information. While this can be time-consuming, it’s vitally important to your claim and can work to thwart many defenses the insurance may rely upon to prevent you from recovering for your injuries.
It’s also important to know that insurance companies have access to sophisticated databases that they share will all other insurance companies. These databases contain information such as your history of prior claims and crashes (whether injury-related or not). In addition, insurance companies are also very sophisticated and well-versed in using the internet to their advantage. Accordingly, it’s always best to assume that the insurance company already has access to the information you’re providing and can verify whether or not you’re being completely forthcoming. If you withhold any information for any reason (innocent or not), it will likely come back to haunt you.
Trust SouthShore Injury Attorneys With Your Florida Personal Injury Claim
Navigating the process of a Florida personal injury claim can be very complicated, and there are many pitfalls and traps that can arise that can damage or destroy your chances of recovery. If you’re in need of help following a Florida car accident, the attorneys at SouthShore Injury Attorneys are experienced in representing personal injury cases throughout the State of Florida. If you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact SouthShore Injury Attorneys at (813) 419-3866 for a free consultation.
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