Car Crash? Always Be Honest About Your Injuries.
Mark A. Steinberg
Personal Injury
A personal injury lawsuit happens if you are sufficiently injured enough to require medical treatment or even permanent disability that forces you to quit your current job, and you need financial compensation to help recover. Personal injury lawsuits typically occur when the injured party seeks the monetary compensation they are owed and the party or parties responsible refuse to recognize their culpability and try to avoid paying. If it succeeds in a favorable verdict, the lawsuit enacts a court order on the responsible parties, legally requiring them to pay.However, when seeking financial compensation for injuries and taking that matter to court, you must do one thing. You must be honest and consistent about the state of your injuries.
Being Macho Can Cost Your Case
There is a tendency among some, especially men worried about projecting an image of masculinity, presenting oneself as tough and not prone to weakness. This can sometimes mean that even when a person isn't feeling well or is injured, they will claim to friends and family, often publicly, that they are feeling fine.
However, these statements, especially if made in public to witnesses or recording devices, can be used against a person in court. If, for example, you are in a car accident where you suffer whiplash, and you genuinely feel that you need financial compensation for treatment and recovery, claims that you feel fine and that the car accident "was nothing," appear to directly contradict your court statements that your injuries are severe enough to require compensation.
At this point, a lawyer for a defendant can claim that you are lying about something, and they would be correct. You may think you were lying about the severity of your injury just to appear healthy in public, but now you must prove that the lie was about your injuries being not as severe as they actually were.
Always Get A Diagnosis
Another important aspect of injuries, especially for backing up claims in court, is diagnosis and documentation of that documentation. You cannot simply claim you're injured and go to court, as a jury will be required to look at the evidence to aid their decision about a verdict. This means you need to furnish proof about the state of your injuries.
This doesn't necessarily mean you have to show up in court using crutches or a wheelchair, but it does mean you need an evaluation from a medical professional with the documentation to show that the claim is legitimate. However, be aware that medical documents will be given far more weight than verbal claims. So, for example, if the medical records indicate your injuries are primarily centered in your chest and neck, but then you claim additional injuries in your leg, without a diagnosis to back that up, those further injuries and the compensation associated with them may not be recognized in court.
If you are working with a personal injury attorney on your case, you'll get the guidance you need to ensure your case has all the reinforcement you need. Honesty and consistency about your injuries will get you the results you want.