If you’ve been injured in an accident and need a personal injury attorney, then it’s a good idea to get as many details as possible. If you work with Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we will take your case on a contingency basis. This means that you won’t pay us until you win your case – but it also means that we take on all the risk. As a result, we ask that you be open with us from the get go.
We know that it often happens that a client doesn’t tell us something not because they’re trying to hide it, but because they don’t realize that it’s important to their case. We will do our best to guide you through the things we need to know, but in the meantime you can read on to learn some of the things that we may ask you to disclose, depending on your case.
Be open about a criminal history
Do you have a criminal history? If you do, that doesn’t mean we won’t take your case or that we’ll judge you. However, it does mean that the other side may bring it up during trial or negotiations. As long as we have the information we can be prepared for this. If we are blindsided, then it may make it more difficult to win your case.
Tell us about any and all prior illnesses and / or injuries
One of the first things the other side is going to try and do is to show that your injuries aren’t the result of an accident but were pre-existing conditions. If you’ve had a car accident or other type of accident in the past, let us know. Once again, we want to make sure that we’re not surprised in the court room. If you’ve had mental health issues in the past, substance abuse issues, or other non-physical injuries / illnesses, please disclose them as well.
Let us know if you’re going through a divorce
We know it can be tough to talk about, but you need to let us know if you’re going through your divorce. There are actually a number of ways it can affect your case. For example, your spouse may be called by the defense and may weaken your claim, or if the settlement will be divided between you and your spouse at the time of divorce, this may be relevant as well.
Don’t keep a bankruptcy or tax issues to yourself
We need to know if you’re in the middle of a bankruptcy proceedings because the part of the settlement associated with pain and suffering may be added to your bankruptcy estate – which means you won’t get the money. If you’re having tax issues, it can also lead to your settlement being confiscated. In most cases, it’s virtually impossible to recover lost wages if you’re in the middle of a tax issue.
These are just some of the things that don’t directly relate to your injury that you’ll need to let us know. Remember: the more we know, the better we can prove your case. Call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today for a free case evaluation.
