Mistake #4
Hiding past accidents and injuries from your attorney
Once you begin a case, the other side is allowed to explore your past accident history to determine whether your current injuries and condition could have been caused by another accident. This should be obvious, but you need to be up front and honest with your attorney about any injuries or accidents that occurred before or after the current accident. Usually, the insurance company, its adjusters, and their attorneys already have substantial information about your prior accidents. The entire insurance industry maintains an extensive database of people who have been in prior accidents and asserted claims. If you try to hide a prior accident history from your attorney or the insurance company, it can severely damage your case, if not destroy it.
The same is true for prior injuries and medical care. If you saw a doctor before the accident, you can bet there is a written record (i.e., chart note) the insurance company will find. Do not hide anything. Do not decide what you think your attorney should know. If your attorney knows about your prior medical history in the beginning, then he or she can do something about it or at least manage the case in an appropriate way to minimize its damaging effects on your current case. If you hide this information from your attorney, you will either lose your case or receive substantially less than you deserve.
The value of a case rests largely on an accident victim’s ability to demonstrate—in a convincing manner—the extent to which the accident has affected their life. Credibility is the key! Do not jeopardize your case by failing to disclose everything. All we ask of a client is this: Tell us the truth, the whole truth, and let us make the best of it.