Filing a personal injury lawsuit as a first-time claimant can be a stressful and traumatic undertaking because there are so many moving parts that can come at you from left field. From depositions to medical exams and interrogatories, as well as insurance company tactics and surreptitious investigation, the process is not for the weak, even with a formidable law firm such as McCready Law by your side. During this process, many claimants may feel the pressure to be at their best and a good client in the eyes of their attorneys, which may then lead them to obscure information and not fully dive into the process for fear of being thought of as less than in one way or another.

Personal injury law, or the law for that matter, seeks to uncover the objective truth, however embarrassing or uncomfortable, so that justice can be served in a fair and equitable manner. Therefore, adopting a stoic stance or refraining from bothering your attorney with details they perceive to be minor might seem like the right thing to do, but the reality is that doing these things might inadvertently create legal blind spots that may jeopardize your claim in ways you may not anticipate. In this article, we shall explore the psychological roots of this behavior in order to uncover its negative effects when it comes to successfully filing and winning an injury claim so you can receive the maximum compensation you truly deserve.

Are you looking for the best personal injury lawyer? Please call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation. The experienced injury lawyers at McCready Law have over 90 YEARS of combined legal experience, where we’ve represented tens of thousands of injured Americans from all walks of life and from every corner of the country to recover compensation after getting injured by the negligent actions of other individuals and large corporations.

Over the decades, we’ve been able to recover over $260 million for our clients, with many of these settlements or judgments running into the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are various reasons why we’ve been so successful at what we do, and the first one is our personal handling of all claims – by contrast, many law firms simply shunt files over to paralegals or legal assistants who may not have a full understanding of the law or lack trial experience.

In addition, we work closely with a team of experts, such as expert witnesses, forensic professionals, physicians, accident reconstruction experts, and investigators, to make sure that we cover every angle of the claim to ensure the abundance of unassailable evidence. In addition, we run a bilingual firm (hablamos Español), and we have nationwide reach thanks to our vast network of referral attorneys and law firms.

Lastly, all cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, and what this means is that there are ZERO UPFRONT FEES for the duration of the processing of the claim, as we only levy our fees at the end of the suit, and only if we’ve recovered compensation on your behalf. If you slipped and fell in a retail store, got injured on the job, were involved in an auto accident that wasn’t your fault, or had a child bitten by a dog, please call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation – our intake team is standing by.

Why Clients Withhold Information During a Personal Injury Lawsuit

Clients coming into personal injury law for the first time may act in puzzling or restrictive ways out of ignorance when it comes to the process. However, there are certain key reasons for this often-sabotaging behavior.

Here are some of the most common reasons:

1. Fear of being judged or disbelieved – Many claimants may fear that if they complain too much or appear emotional or even reveal details that are minor, they may end up getting doubted by their attorneys with regard to the legitimacy of their injuries, or they may be seen as difficult or demanding. Inasmuch as we live in an expressive society, qualities such as being greedy or being too whiny are frowned upon, which usually ends up limiting our interactions with others or asserting ourselves in the context of an injury claim. This behavior ends in clients minimizing their pain or hesitating to report new symptoms that develop after initial treatment.
2. Desire to be seen as resilient or strong – Our society values and praises stoicism as well as courage. Therefore, individuals may unconsciously feel the pressure to appear resilient or strong to their doctors, lawyers, and even themselves, as they may believe that showing weakness or pain undermines their character. However, this form of misguided stoicism may lead to returning to activities too soon, pushing through pain, or not communicating the same with their treating physician, which may then impact their ability to recover comprehensive damages.
3. Misunderstanding of the attorney’s process and role – First-time claimants may not have a comprehensive understanding of the lawyer’s need for copious amounts of information in order to build a strong case. The client may believe that their attorney is too busy for questions or only needs “big” details. However, filtering information or withholding even what may seem like small or irrelevant details may jeopardize the claim should it go to trial, and new information is revealed that may put a spanner in the works with regard to our legal strategy.

The pressure to appear as a “good” or compliant client may have the following consequences:

1. The claim may be undervalued with regard to damages due to the client downplaying their pain or injuries, given the impact of this understating with regard to their medical records
2. There may be a challenge when it comes to establishing causation, which is a vital component of a personal injury claim, which may result in a nullified claim
3. Your credibility during deposition may be in jeopardy if your stories keep changing due to inconsistencies, since depositions require the whole truth, which may then be used to weaponize your character during trial
4. You may end up receiving inadequate medical treatment because you didn’t want to appear weak or bother the medical team or your attorney, which may end up delaying recovery and fail to document your injuries which in the end may impact your ability to recover maximum compensation you are owed.

Best Nationwide Injury Attorneys – Call Us Today!

Dealing with injury attorneys and the personal injury law process for the first time can seem daunting, overwhelming, or confusing. Therefore, many first-time clients may make assumptions with regard to what we, your attorneys may need from you or the appropriate behavior or comportment you must adopt.

At McCready Law, we are always here to help you with everything you require as an injured claimant, and provide you with a listening and compassionate ear where you are able to speak with no fear or judgment. If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, please call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation. We take on clients countrywide, and there is no legal obligation. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to helping you.