The Importance of Credibility in a Personal Injury Case

On its face a personal injury claim is simple.  First you establish liability of the other party.  This may be easy (e.g. rear end collision) or more difficult (e.g. multi vehicle collision).  Then you establish the measure of damages (e.g. medical bills, lost wages, property damage).  However, even in the clearest cases of liability and the most straightforward of medical causation, your claim can be undermined and devalued if you lack credibility.

Credibility is determined in a number of ways which are not necessarily the same in every case.  You can hurt your credibility by telling your insurance company a different version of the accident than you told the investigating officer, failing to disclose a criminal conviction on answers to the defendant’s requests for information, failing to disclose a prior injury that occurred before your accident or by claiming injuries but not seeking treatment for them.  Regardless of whether your omissions or inconsistencies were intentional, the insurance companies and their lawyers will look at your claim (and its value) negatively if they deem you to be a less than credible witness.  Your amount of liability will be questioned and the seriousness of your injuries will be disputed.  Establishing yourself as a credible witness is the cornerstone to resolving a personal injury claim for the greatest amount.

If you have a question about a personal injury claim call me today for a free no obligation case evaluation.