While it's almost always preferable to settle your personal injury case outside of court, it might be necessary to go to court to get what you need. Your personal injury lawyer can be counted on to act in your best interest but there is a lot of things you can do on your own to help improve your chances of getting the at-fault party to pay you what you deserve. Read on for a few critical things to know before your first day in court.

You are being recorded: Insurance companies hate to pay on claims; their entire profit model is based on their customers not getting in accidents. Once you realize that you may be in for a challenge getting the other guy's carrier to pay your claim you might understand why it has become more commonplace for insurance companies to hire investigators to spy on accident victims. It's best to keep in mind that when you are out in public you may be under surveillance and act accordingly. For example, if you are having a good day, take some pain medicine and toss a ball to your child at the park then you might be damaging your case by showing that you are not as badly injured as you claim to be.

Use attorney-client privilege to your advantage: Almost all communications between you and your lawyer are protected by a powerful law that prevents disclosure no matter what. Not only can you be open and honest with your attorney, but you must be. Your background will be an open book for the other side so clue your lawyer in on anything in your past that might be brought up in court. That includes your work history, criminal record, financial issues, past lawsuits, past medical problems, and more. Only by being forthright with your lawyer can you allow him or her to prepare a defense for anything that might be brought up in court or during settlement negotiations.

Refresh your memories: Personal injury cases can move quickly but more often than not it can take several months for your case to finally come up for trial. Do yourself and your case a big favor and set aside some time to review your case history. By now you might have a lot of medical records and receipts and you might even have a journal where you've been keeping up with events concerning your case. Now is the time to read over all your paperwork, reports and records and view any photographs. You will be needing to review prior to a deposition as well.

Talk with a lawyer like Gary L Baker Attorney at Law and learn some more tips on how to ace your personal injury claim.

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