Three Things We Wish Everyone Knew About Personal Injury Law

29At Jones, Childers, Donaldson & Webb, PLLC, we have extensive experience in many legal areas, including personal injury law. In our years of working on personal injury law cases, we have noticed that it is often hard for people seeking this kind of legal assistance to find clear, accurate information on the subject. To help correct this issue, we have put together this article to go over three key things that we want everyone to know about personal injury law.

1. You Need to Move Quickly – The first thing we want everyone to know about personal injury law is that you have a limited amount of time to sue. Here in North Carolina, for example, you must file a personal injury lawsuit within three years of the date that the injury occurred. While this can seem like plenty of time, the sooner you speak to a personal injury lawyer about your case, the better, as it will keep your options for a lawsuit open.
2. You Need to Follow the Doctor’s Orders- Another thing we want you to know about personal injury law cases is that how well you follow your doctor’s instructions can affect the outcome of your case. In order to get the compensation you deserve, you and your attorney need to convince the court that your injuries are a result of the defendant’s negligence, and failing to follow medical advice can give your opponents an opening to argue that the severity of your condition is your own fault.
3. Minimizing Your Pain Can Minimize Your Settlement- A third thing you should be aware of when it comes to personal injury law cases is that minimizing your pain will not do you any favors in court. The court will rate your distress on a 1-5 scale to determine how much you should get in your settlement, and if you downplay your pain, the court will have justification to award you less money. Be aware of this when describing your pain or your injury’s impact on your life when in court, and be careful about posting things on social media as well, as any posts that make light of your suffering are likely to be held against you in the case.