Legal issues and mistakes made by a client have the ability to alter the same client’s chances for obtaining a fair settlement.

Legal issues that some clients fail to understand or appreciate

The legal system respects certain timelines: Every state has a statute of limitations. That same statute has established a deadline for filing a lawsuit. Someone that tries to submit a complaint to the court after the deadline has passed loses the chance to benefit from exercising one of his or her legal rights.

In each state, the deadline indicates the amount of time that the victim of an accident has in which to sue the responsible party. In a majority of the states, victims have a span of 2 years, following the accident’s occurrence, or following discovery of the same victim’s accident-linked injury.

Sometimes an insurance adjuster might try to confuse a claimant by stating that the submission of a personal injury claim was made too late. In fact, there is no deadline for submission of such a claim. Some adjusters try to trick claimants into believing that such a deadline does exist.

Clients should share their information freely with a retained personal injury lawyer in Fort Erie. On the other hand, no client should share the details concerning a case with certain individuals, such as:

—The adjuster
—Members of the family
—Friends
—The lawyer for the responsible party

Someone that has submitted a personal injury claim to an insurance company should not sign any document, unless his/her lawyer is present. By the same token, no claimant should offer to provide the insurance company with a taped statement, unless an attorney can be present at the taping.

Foolish actions by a client that could jeopardize outcome for case

Foregoing a visit to a doctor’s office, a hospital or a clinic during the 24 hours that have followed an accident. Even any driver or occupant of the vehicle that has no visible symptoms should make a point of getting such a visit recorded.

Posting facts about a personal injury case on Facebook, or on some other social media network. An adjuster working in the defendant’s insurance company could uncover those facts.

Posting pictures of the actions taken by someone that has filed a personal injury claim: That same individual has reported to a medical professional the movements that were impaired by an accident-linked injury. A picture might suggest an inconsistency in that report. Defense lawyers jump on any inconsistency, in hopes of weakening the plaintiff’s argument.

Missing a medical appointment, or failing to follow the instructions given by a doctor during a medical appointment: Either of those actions could be seen as evidence that the reported injury is not that serious.