What Can I Do To Prepare For My Personal Injury Case In Maryland?

If you or someone you love has been injured and is filing a personal injury claim, there are several things you should keep in mind as your case progresses. While your attorney will be the one filing the requisite paperwork with the court, there are several steps you can take as well.

Preparing for a Maryland Personal Injury Case as a Plaintiff

• Keep Track of Records: Lawsuits can be long and drawn out. Over the course of your case it is important to keep track of all papers and records relating to your lawsuit. You may accumulate quite a few important documents including: medical records, medical bills, car repair bills, insurance correspondence, attorney correspondence and a variety of other documents. In addition, it is always good practice for you to keep your own record of the events surrounding the injury. This can include things such as how you felt following the injury, any work you missed, and any other relevant details which could be difficult for you to remember in the future.

• Social Media Etiquette: It is quite popular nowadays for people to document everything going on in their lives, from the exciting to the mundane. When you are involved in a lawsuit it is important to remember that some things are best kept private. Posting status updates to Facebook, tweeting depositions or courtroom proceedings; Instagramming photos of things related to your case; and blogging about an ongoing legal case are all inappropriate things to do. Any material that you post to social media accounts, even if these accounts have been kept private, could end up being used against you during a case. The defense can subpoena all social media records, including private messages.

• Avoid Insurance Adjusters: Once you have retained an attorney to assist you with your case, your attorney should handle all questions that the insurance adjusters or insurance company lawyers may have. Any insurance company representative is motivated by one main concern: minimize the amount that the insurance company will pay for your claim. Their questions are generally not designed to get to the truth of what occurred; these questions are designed to coerce you into admitting fault or making statements which could minimize the seriousness of your claim. If you are contacted by the insurance company, simply tell them to direct their questions to your attorney.

• Asking Questions About Your Lawsuit: The legal process can be confusing, especially if you have never had to deal with any legal issues before. Things like pleadings, motions, depositions, hearings, and interrogatories can seem perplexing if you are unfamiliar with the law. If you have any questions about your case, or the legal process in general, you can always ask your attorney to help you understand what is going on.

• Responding To Your Attorney: During a case, an attorney will often need information from their clients. This may be because they need to answer a discovery request from the opposing side, clarification on a fact, or a myriad of other reasons. In addition, court proceedings have specific deadlines. If your attorney is unable to meet those deadlines because he or she cannot get a hold of you, this could be detrimental to your case.

If you or a loved one has been injured or in an accident, the law firm of Gilman & Bedigian may be able to help. Our attorneys have years of experience dealing with personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Please do not hesitate to contact us today for a free consultation.