The top reasons why people lose personal injury cases
The purpose of personal injury law is to protect you if you’ve suffered an injury or harm due to the negligence or intentional conduct of someone else: for example, if you’ve been injured in a car accident, have been the victim of medical malpractice, or a defective product.
Filing a personal injury claim provides you with the opportunity to pursue compensation for economic as well as non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. While you may feel that you have a clear cut and compelling case, you may end up losing your case due to some common mistakes that people make when embarking upon the personal injury claim process.
Some of the reasons why people lose personal injury cases include:
- No representation
- Misrepresentation
- Contributory negligence
- Lack of documentation
- Speculation and misstatements
- Minimizing or downplaying injuries
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Thorough preparation is one of the best ways to avoid losing personal injury cases. After suffering an injury, it is critical to the success of your case that you gather proof in order to prove liability. Examples of evidence that can be used in a personal injury case are police reports, witness statements, photos, medical and hospital records as well as your own description of the accident and how your injury has affected you over time.
Stick to the facts. Any and all information that you provide should be truthful and accurate. If you misrepresent your injuries or if there are discrepancies between your account and a police report or other crucial evidence, it can really hurt your credibility and end up derailing your lawsuit.
The personal injury process can be cumbersome. It involves filling out and filing paperwork and documents and working with the court according to the laws for personal injury cases. At any point in the process, you may end up missing deadlines or signing documents that are detrimental to the success of your case.
A personal injury attorney has experience dealing with the legal system and has extensive knowledge when it comes to personal injury law and dealing with representatives from insurance companies. A personal injury attorney will be able to advise you at every step in the claims process, especially when it comes to deciding whether to resolve your case through a negotiated settlement vs a formal lawsuit.
Finding the right attorney
Having the right representation can make the difference between winning or losing your personal injury case. Greg Yates, Los Angeles personal injury attorney, has been representing personal injury cases for more than 30 years. He has successfully recovered some of the largest personal injury settlements — over a half a billion dollars — for his clients through settlements, awards, and jury verdicts.
With one of the highest success rates in the state of California, Greg Yates is relentless when it comes to fighting cases on the behalf of his clients. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation