Possibly one of the biggest mistakes a client can make is to rush to see me after an accident, before she has seen her own doctor. It may or may not be just poor judgment, but when it comes to a lawsuit, it just looks bad, and gives the impression that the injured party is far more concerned with financial compensation than with his or her own well-being.
As I have said in my book, injured people seek medical attention. Litigious people, looking to work the system, retain a lawyer first. Then, of course, there are litigious people who are genuinely injured. But, during a deposition or being questioned in a courtroom, when it comes out that the individual first thought to find a personal injury attorney before visiting his or her doctor, it just looks and sounds terrible and is a defense attorney’s fondest dream.
The defense attorney and possibly the jury will wonder just how seriously this person is injured if the first doctor he sees is the one referred to him by his attorney.
If you are injured due to someone else’s negligence, the first thing to do is seek medical attention, obtain a diagnosis, and make sure to follow the doctor’s instructions. After that, seek the assistance of an attorney.
