Being injured in an airplane accident is not fun. Things are even worse when medical bills are mount-ing, and you can’t work right now. The best move is to retain the services of a New York aviation accident attorney and seek damages for the accident. Here are some of the ways that you can work with the attorney, and increase the chances of receiving the compensation that you deserve.
Tell All to Your Legal Counsel
Your attorney needs to know everything that is connected with the accident. No matter how remote the connection happens to be or how insignificant you think it is, relay that information to your legal counsel. Some minor detail that you think has no bearing at all could turn out to be important to the case.
Remember that you have never been through anything like this before. By contrast, your attorney has handled a number of cases with similarities to this one. That puts your legal counsel in a better position to decide what matters and what doesn’t really affect the case.
But Say Nothing to Anyone Else
While you want to be completely forthcoming with your attorney, it’s best to remain close-mouthed with everyone else. Other than providing vague responses when someone asks about your health, say nothing. What may seem like an innocuous comment to you could be used in an attempt to undermine your claims of injury.
For this reason, be mindful of discussing the accident in any public setting. You also want to refrain from discussing any details about what your attorney is doing or even providing specifics about the medical treatments you are receiving. The less that you say, the easier it will be for your attorney not to be encumbered by what the responsible party tries to make out of something you said.
Let the Attorney Take the Lead in Settlement Negotiations
Your New York aviation accident attorney will seek to negotiate a settlement with the other party. While the two of you will discuss the terms ahead of time, it’s best to sit back and let your legal counsel do the talking while the negotiations are underway. Never respond to any queries unless they are cleared by your attorney first. Even what seems like a casual remark may be an attempt to find something to use as a bargaining tool.
If the need to confer on something does come up during the negotiations, have a sidebar conversation with your legal counsel away from the other party. Once the two of you finish, return to the negotiating table and present a united front.
And During Court Sessions
If it’s not possible to reach a settlement, the only recourse is to pursue the case in court. Once again, you want to remain silent while your legal counsel does the talking. Follow any advice that the attorney provides about your decorum in court, and remain as calm as you can. That may be difficult, depending on what measures the defense employs, but remaining collected will serve you well.
Remember that your legal counsel is there to fight for what you deserve. Do all that you can to support that effort. Doing so will increase the odds of emerging from this unfortunate event without any long-term financial burdens.
