Of course! In fact you should be asking regularly! This should be an ongoing dialogue. There are many things that can impact your potential recovery. Let me highlight two.
1) Liability or Who Is At Fault For Your Accident and Injuries?
In virtually every case, the insurance company and their corporate lawyers strongly contest liability. They rarely admit fault even in extreme circumstances such as when a driver who hurt you was intoxicated at the time of the collision. Therefore, your attorney must gather all of the evidence necessary to prove what really occurred. Often times this may take the form of tracking down and obtaining surveillance video. This could also take the form of taking depositions or sworn statements of witnesses to the crash who can corroborate your version. As a side note, after your lawyer obtains proof that the other driver caused your injuries, oftentimes the insurance lawyers admit their client’s fault only to look reasonable in front of an unsuspecting jury. Judges normally won’t let us inform the jury that the insurance lawyers vehemently denied responsibility for years despite overwhelming evidence.
2) Damages You Sustained.
Your injuries, recovery, and medical treatment impact your potential case value. If your injuries resolve in a short period of time, your expected recovery is much different than if you need multiple surgeries, including possible future medical care, which can be costly. This is one of the many reasons to keep your lawyer fully informed of your medical treatment, including upcoming doctor and physical therapy appointments.
Perhaps most importantly, you should have regular, detailed, and honest discussions with your injury lawyer as to your goals and how to obtain them. This is a team effort.
Sometimes the outcome of your case might depend on factors that at first glance seem irrelevant. For example, the insurance limits of the driver that caused the collision. They might be insufficient to fully cover your medical bills and your lawyer must look for additional coverage such as an underinsured policy.
Keeping in regular contact with your injury lawyer as to the progress of the case, expected outcomes, and your goals is vital to making sure that you obtain a fair result. Of course, an attorney must know what your ultimate goal is so they can make sure to do everything they can to satisfy your goal. An experienced injury lawyer will be able to know if you’re expected outcome is realistic given the specific facts of your case and the applicable law that governs the case.
In short, call your lawyer today – they really care and you and need to hear from you!
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