7 Things You Should Talk About With Your Personal Injury Attorney

After getting injured in an accident, you may decide that you want to take the negligent party to court and get compensation for your injuries. You have this option, and working with Houston personal injury lawyers can be incredibly beneficial. However, to increase the chances of your case being a success, there are some things you need to talk about with your personal injury attorney.

7 Things You Should Talk About With Your Houston Personal Injury Lawyers

1. Any Previous Injuries or Illnesses

When taking a personal injury case to court, the opposing lawyer is going to look into your medical background. Their goal is to protect their client and ensure they don’t have to pay for injuries they may not have caused. It’s in your best interest to talk to your lawyer about any previous or current injuries or illnesses you might be impacted by.

You’ll also need to disclose any diagnoses for mental illnesses. It may seem like this information is incredibly personal and has no bearing on the current case, but that’s something your attorney will need to deal with. The more information they have, the better they’ll be able to serve you.

2. If You Have a Criminal History

Not only will the opposing attorney look at your medical background, but they are also going to run a check to find out if you have a criminal history. The goal is to be able to discredit you or make you look untrustworthy. Again, if you provide your Houston work accident injury lawyers with this information from the get-go, there’s a better chance they can put together a case to increase your chances of getting the compensation you deserve.

3. If You’ve Filed for or Plan to File for Bankruptcy

If you have already filed for bankruptcy or plan to while your personal injury case is ongoing, you have to talk to your attorney about this. Depending on the nature of your case, it’s possible that if you’re trying to get compensation for pain and suffering, you may not get the money. Your creditors may be entitled to it.

To ensure that you’re getting what you deserve, disclosing information about bankruptcy allows your bankruptcy lawyer and personal injury attorney to work together to get the best outcome for you and your case.

4. If You’re Getting a Divorce

Most people don’t want to talk about the fact they are getting a divorce, but if this is happening at the same time as your personal injury case, you need to talk to your lawyer about what’s going on. It’s possible that your compensation may have to be divided between you and your spouse, but there may be other issues that arise during the proceedings, including the opposing lawyer calling on your ex to testify against you.

In addition, if the divorce is a result of the accident and your injuries, this could factor into your emotional distress and the compensation you seek for that. Your attorney will know how to best handle this situation, but only if they know what’s going on.

5. How You Receive Payment for Work

If you are an individual that receives your work payments “off the book,” you need to talk to your lawyer about this. This is especially important if you’re trying to get compensation for lost wages. With this information, your lawyer will be able to determine how to best approach getting your lost wages and any other payments you may deserve.

6. If You Have Medicare or Medicaid

Letting your lawyer know about your Medicare or Medicaid coverage is important to get your case resolved as soon as possible. Talking to your attorney about this aspect of your case at the first meeting gives your lawyer a better understanding of what they’re dealing with and the ability to set up a realistic time frame of when your personal injury issue might get resolved.

7. Anything Else You Might Think Could be Used Against You

If there is anything else in your life that you think an opposing attorney might discover and use to try to discredit you in court, you’ll want to disclose that information to your personal injury attorney as well. Divulging this information from the beginning can prevent surprises from arising later down the road and ensure your attorney has everything they need to help you with your case and represent you in court.

Taking your personal injury case to court could open you up to scrutiny and your personal life not being so private. It may be uncomfortable to talk to your lawyer about a lot of these things, especially if they don’t feel important to the case at hand, but the more open and honest you are, the better it will be for you in the long run. Your lawyer is there to help you, but you have to be willing to talk to them to get the best possible outcome for your case.