What Should You Never Do During A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

People who lose a loved one to an accident caused by another person or entity may want to talk to a Portland wrongful death lawyer in their area to file a lawsuit. However, there are things that can go wrong with the case if you do any of the things mentioned below. 

Fighting With Your Family over Money

Losing someone in an accident is devastating and emotions will probably run high. This is a time when you need to make a lot of personal and financial decisions and everyone is stressed. However, it’s really important to not argue with family over anything because it can just make everything worse.

Sometimes the best course of action if there are estate issues to figure out is to bring in a neutral party such as a real estate or estate lawyer to sort things out.

Talking About The Lawsuit In Public

The death of the person may get coverage in your local or even national media. Because the event is public knowledge to some extent, you may get questions from people you don’t know about what happened. If you are filing a lawsuit through Portland wrongful death lawyer, they’ll tell you not to discuss anything about the case outside of family and very close friends until the matter is settled.

Any statement you make that gets out in public could be used against you and harm the case. For example, if you lose your mother in a car accident, the case could be damaged if you told the media that the accident was partially her fault.

Not Thinking About All Liable Parties

This is another reason to always consult a Portland wrongful death lawyer about your case. You probably will not think about every potential liable party in the accident. A common example is if someone is killed in a tractor-trailer accident.

If the trucker is at fault, it’s also possible to sue the trucking company or the contractor that hired the trucker. There could be a lot of money available that the layperson doesn’t know. 

How Can You Help Your Wrongful Death Lawyer?

If your loved one was killed in an accident because of someone’s negligence, you may have hired a Portland wrongful death lawyer. Your attorney will review the case and determine if you have the right to receive damages if another person caused the death.

First, you should speak to a Portland wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible after your loved one dies. A wrongful death case is complicated and it takes a lot of evidence and time to prove that another person was responsible for the deceased’s death. You only have three years from the date of the death to file a claim, but sooner is always better.

Second, you should always tell the truth to your Portland wrongful death lawyer. Sometimes the family doesn’t tell the entire story to their attorney because they think it could affect their compensation. Maybe the deceased was partially at fault for the accident. Even if that is the case, you should always tell the full truth to your lawyer. Your attorney can build the case with any weak points in mind if they know about them well in advance. The case could be ruined if the Portland wrongful death lawyer is blindsided by something during settlement negotiations.

Third, you should not talk about the case with anyone other than your immediate family and your attorney. You may be tempted to talk about the case to the media or post online. Doing so is always a mistake. You could say something that damages your case, such as talking about the deceased being partially at fault. It is preferable to not say anything publicly about the case until it is resolved in court or through a settlement. 

How can you get the Most Money for your Personal Injury Claim?

Imagine if someone hits your car on the interstate in Portland and you slam into the concrete barrier and have severe facial injuries. You wonder if you will be able to prove the other driver caused the accident so you can get compensation. Yes, if the other driver clearly caused the accident, there is a high probability that you can get compensation. But how can you get the most money? Follow the tips we outline below, then speak to an accident attorney in Portland to have your case reviewed.

The best way to get more money for your claim is to get medical attention right away. Many people don’t want to go to the doctor after an accident, but this is always a mistake. You may not feel pain from your injuries for up to a day. But if you wait to see the doctor, your injuries may have gotten much worse. This could compromise your health as well as your personal injury claim. The insurance company will note that you did not go to the doctor right away and may claim that you were not seriously injured. Seeing a doctor right away shows that you were hurt and the injuries were related to the accident.

Second, you can get more money for your accident claim by following what your doctor says. Whatever the doctor tells you to do, you should do it. This means you need to go to all of your doctor’s appointments and any specialist appointments. If you have to miss one, reschedule it and attend as soon as possible. If you don’t follow what your doctor says, the insurance company may want to reduce what they pay you.

Third, be straight with your accident attorney Portland about your case. If you think you were partially at fault, you shouldn’t lie to your lawyer. Tell them everything about the case, both good and bad. Your attorney can only build the best case by fully understanding everything about it.