To Win Your Oregon Lawsuit, Use Caution and Truth
Portland Personal Injury Lawyers
One of the quickest ways to lose your personal injury case is to lie.
In the event of an accident related injury, it may be tempting to create a story that isn’t 100% true in order to acquire a higher settlement. Lying or exaggerating to your doctor (how to work with your doctor) or lawyer about your injury, in order to make money is considered fraud. If your intentions are anything but honest, please do not call us. Our client relationships rest on a foundation of honesty and integrity, and fudging the facts of your case will only work against you in the end.
On the other hand, your instinct to tell your story honestly should also be matched with knowledge of what you should and should not say to the insurance company. Refusing to answer a question is perfectly acceptable. Making false statements is not.
Insurance companies maintain extensive databases. They have the ability to find medical records that you may not even remember. They may interview your neighbors, close friends, co-workers, and even your ex-spouse for details pertaining to your personal history and characteristics which they may then use to incriminate you or contradict your story with. They are also not above video surveillance. So you see, lying not only diminishes your case’s chances of success, but is nearly impossible to get away with.
Even slight, unintentional exaggeration can ruin your case. For example, say you were an avid gardener, who until suffering a personal injury, spent many hours working in your garden. As a result of your injury you now require a stool while you work. You can only sit in this position for a period of ten minutes at a time as a result of the pain. You might tell the jury that you can’t garden anymore. But then the insurance company can provide video evidence of you clipping flowers, and this discredits your story. It is much better to be precisely honest about your circumstances, stating “I can’t garden for 10 hours a week like I used to”, rather than exaggerate and have your statements be contradicted by the insurance company.
In addition to your doctors, insurance companies and the jury, you also need to be completely honest with your lawyer. You'll need to tell your lawyer about any past injuries and accidents. so that he/she can take all the relevant facts into account when making your case.
Be aware that the insurance company is going to find out this information anyway, because they have nationwide databases and share information. If your lawyer is unaware of any prior accidents and injuries beforehand, the insurance company will know that he or she is missing key facts, and they will make a low offer as a result, knowing that your lawyer is not ready for trial.
To have a real shot at winning your Oregon personal injury case you must be absolutely honest with your doctors, lawyers and the other side (although it is important to discuss your case with the other side only with your lawyer present). Your case depends on your credibility, and without that you lose your case.