If you have handled some thousands of Maryland car and truck crash cases, you tend to see recurrent themes, that play out to either the benefit or detriment of the injured plaintiffs. Thus this succinct vehicle for conveying five useful tips for maximizing the prospects of of getting truly " fair" compensation.
1). Don't procrastinate. Get checked out by a healthcare provider as immediately as possible, notify your auto insurer promptly and if you are going to miss time from work, make sure your employer knows why and keep a copy of any off work notes from healthcare providers.
2). Don't represent yourself, get an experienced lawyer. Abraham Lincoln's admonition about people who represent themselves having fools as clients pertains even more strongly today.
3). Understand your underlying crash-related injuries. Many people forget what they told doctors at the emergency room and when asked at trial what parts of the bodies were injured, list areas that weren't mentioned, at least at first. If you injured your low back in a crash and later developed neck problems that is common but you need to spell that out or risk looking like an exaggerator.
4). Don't exaggerate. People who overplay their hands at trial often pay the price of angry jurors.
5). Know whether you hurt the same part of the body before. If you hurt your back in a rear-end accident yesterday, the insurer for the at-fault driver and their attorney will look at the insurance index and see whether you hurt the same part of your body before. If you say no, they will undermine your present claim and suggest you are a liar.
