Many professional associations do not involve partnerships. For example, mechanics fix cars with little input from owners. The mechanic’s skill, all by itself, is usually enough to fix the car.
But an attorney-client relationship is different. To get the most out of your Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer, both attorney and client must actively participate. Of course, your lawyer has a great deal of professional advocacy skills. Attorneys also give very good legal advice. But these skills are meaningless without facts. The best legal arguments in the world are useless in civil court without evidence to support them. And, unless a lawyer knows all the facts, how can a lawyer give you good advice?
That’s where you come in. You provide the facts, so your lawyer can do the best job possible.
Don’t Hurt Your Case
In the medical profession, before the doctor helps the patient, the doctor must first concentrate on not harming the patient. Rash, pressure-packed decisions often do much more harm than good. Many Minnesota personal injury clients do the same thing to their legal claims. They sabotage their cases before attorneys have a chance to step in.
Car crashes are a very good example. Usually because of shock from the accident, some victims are not very careful about what they say or who they say it to. Although it’s often difficult, try to keep these points in mind:
- Don’t Talk to the Other Insurance Company: You probably have a legal responsibility to inform your own insurance company about an accident. But you have no responsibility whatsoever to talk to the other insurance company. It’s natural to want to be helpful or to “set the record straight.” But insurance company employees know how to extract damaging information from victims, and their lawyers know how to use this information on court.
- Avoid Social Media Posts: Obviously, your friends and loved ones want to know that you were in an accident and that you will be okay. But they do not need to know the details about the crash. Generally, the more times that people repeat a story, the fuzzier the details get. Moreover, if you make any damaging statements in a social media post, there is a permanent record of such statements.
- Don’t Say “I’m Sorry”: We often apologize for things that aren’t our fault to express empathy. But in this context, this empathy can be construed as an admission of liability. Instead of apologizing for the accident, try to say something like “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
If you do any of these things, it is usually not the end of the world. An experienced lawyer can often minimize or even eliminate the damage. But to truly get the most out of your Minnesota personal injury lawyer, it’s very important to do your part.
The Importance of Communication in a Minnesota Attorney-Client Relationship
Lack of communication is one of the leading complaints that clients have about attorneys in Minnesota and elsewhere. But at Carson & Jones, we have an open door policy and a 24-hour turnaround. Our clients must never go through a secretary or paralegal to get to their attorney. We do not screen our appointments. Furthermore, someone will respond to your telephone call or email within twenty-four hours in all but the most extreme circumstances.
Communication goes both ways. Just like you rely on your attorney, your lawyer relies on you. For example, if there is a change or update as to your medical condition, we need to know straightaway. The same thing applies if you get a new address or phone number. Things sometimes happen very quickly in Minnesota personal injury cases, and we sometimes need your input immediately.
Get the Most out of Your Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer in the Damages Phase
Claims with a strong foundation of solid evidence usually turn out favorably for the client. Your goal, and our goal as well, is fair compensation.
When attorney and client work together, the damages available include more than compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and other economic losses. They do not even stop at compensation for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment in life, emotional distress, and other noneconomic damages. At Carlson & Jones, we work to ensure that your injury compensation also includes justice. That way, you and your family can truly move on.
CALL TODAY TO SPEAK WITH A MINNESOTA PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER AT CARLSON & JONES
A successful attorney-client partnership usually ends in maximum compensation for the victim. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Minnesota, contact Carlson & Jones, P.A. We do not charge upfront legal fees in negligence cases.