There are many things to consider when pursuing a claim for an injury you suffered. One of the things that most people have not thought of is how any past personal injury lawsuits they were involved in could impact the success of any current litigation.
A case being brought against the City of New York by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s daughter, Dominique Sharpton might be impacted by testimony she gave in a previous personal injury lawsuit.
In her previous personal injury lawsuit based on a 2008 accident, she reportedly noted “debilitating headaches” and torn ligaments. When she was questioned about the same accident during the current lawsuit, she noted only missing a couple of days of work.
Is There Anything In Your Past That Might Hurt Your Chances Of Being Compensated?
It is difficult to say how these differences in characterization will affect her case, but we all owe it to ourselves to consider any past information that we have given out that may affect a case that we are considering bringing.
There are many potential sources for information that could impact a personal injury lawsuit such as:
- Medical records
- Workplace accident reports
- Records from past lawsuits
- Social media
There are so many places that a defense attorney for an insurance company could look for information that minimizes your chances of successfully pursuing compensation you deserve. They may look for evidence that shows:
- You have suffered a previous injury that increased the severity of the current injury
- You are not as seriously injured as you are claiming
- The defendant was not the cause of your injuries
A good defense attorney will examine all possible ways to undermine your case. This is why you owe it to yourself to thoroughly examine any possible information that might keep you from succeeding with your case. Bring any such information to your attorney’s attention so he or she can evaluate how it might affect your case. Being prepared for evidence that goes against your case is the only way to beat it.
