3. Hiding Other Injuries from Your Lawyer

It goes without saying that you should be upfront and honest with your attorney about any injuries that occurred before or after this accident. Again, if you saw a doctor or other healthcare provider, then there is a record in existence that the insurance company will find. Your lawyer can deal with this if he knows about it. If you lie about it, and the insurance company finds out, then your case is over.

4. Not Having Accurate Tax Returns

In almost every case, a claimant will have lost income because of the accident. You will only be able to claim that lost income if your past tax returns are pristine. You don't want to risk going to jail by claiming a loss of income, only to have your past tax returns not back up your claim. Again, being honest with your attorney is the only way to be, because he or she can deal with the problem if they know about it.

5. Misrepresenting Your Activity Level

Insurance companies routinely hire private investigators to conduct videotape surveillance. If you claim that you cannot run, climb or stoop, and you get caught on videotape, you can forget about your claim. There often is no good explanation (other than "you got my father, not me") that can overcome the eye of the camera.

Personal injury lawsuits in Virginia are serious business. The insurance companies are willing to spend a ton of money investigating your claim. Juries in Virginia are very smart and will see right through any claim shenanigans.

Before you talk to that claims adjuster, its usually a good idea to at least meet with an experienced,board certified, personal injury attorney in your area.

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