8. Don't hide information from your lawyer.



This tip goes hand-in-hand with our advice about being honest. You'll be making a big mistake if you hide information that is embarrassing or that you think will hurt your claim. You may get away with it, but usually the truth comes out. And if it comes out at the wrong time in a deposition or at trial, your case may be damaged beyond repair. Your lawyer can only help you if she has the complete picture. If there's something awkward to be dealt with, she'll handle it. But don't put your lawyer in a bad situation by hiding something.

9. Don't exaggerate the impact of your injury.

You're entering a world you likely didn't know existed. As we've said earlier in this book, insurance companies prosper by paying accident victims as little as possible. In an effort to do that, they'll resort to what you may regard as underhanded behavior. They may hire a private investigator to spy on you, they may have someone engage you in conversation about your injuries, or they may videotape you as you go about your day.

We know of one case ' fortunately not one of ours ' where an insurance company investigator placed a video camera in a gym bag to record a supposedly injured accident victim teaching an aerobics class. Needless to say, the attorney handling that case dumped it immediately ' and should have. People like that aerobics instructor give insurance companies reason to be skeptical. The problem is they seem to be skeptical of everyone, even people with legitimate claims.

So, if you exaggerate the extent of your injuries by doing something like hobbling around on crutches when you can walk just fine, and then you're filmed running a marathon, don't be surprised when your case tanks. Don't play games when it comes to dealing with your injury case.

10. Hire an attorney who devotes his practice to personal injury cases.

Earlier, we wrote about insurance adjusters who negotiate settlements every day. They're good at it because it's their profession. That's why you'll need a lawyer to handle your case. Your lawyer not only will deal with the insurance adjuster, but he'll navigate you through the complex world of personal injury litigation.

Armed with knowledge of the law and the ploys of adjusters, a lawyer can help you obtain a fair settlement for your case. Numerous studies have shown that you're far more likely to end up with more money at the end of a case if you hire a lawyer rather than trying to settle the case on your own. By virtue of handling injury cases every day, lawyers develop a sense of how much a case is worth.

Furthermore, you're not likely to have experience with the types of arguments you're going to hear from insurance adjusters. Hiring a lawyer lessens the amount of hassles you'll face and you'll almost certainly net more money, even after attorney fees and expenses are subtracted.