Mistake #5: Failing to Follow Your Doctor’s Medical Advice
There is a reason you are seeing a medical professional for your problems. You can’t treat them yourself and should not. So listen to the doctor. Follow the doctor’s orders including taking all medications the doctor prescribes. The doctor is the expert when it comes to your medical treatment and if you fail to follow your doctor’s instructions, it will be used against you later on when attempting to receive fair compensation for your injuries. Be a good patient.
Mistake #6: Exaggerating Your Injuries or Ability to Work
This goes back to being honest. Let me tell you about a client I once represented. He injured his back on the job and went to the doctor. The doctor restricted him from heavy lifting and ordered him off work. He told me and the doctor that he was having severe back pain. While the client was staying at home, the insurance company hired a private investigator to watch the client to ensure he was not doing something he should not have been doing. Guess what? I get a call from the insurance company and they say they have a videotape of my client lifting some heavy stuff. I asked them to send it over. I called my client into the office, started the videotape, and sat there in disbelief as I watched. Why? Because there was my client (soon to be ex-client) carrying a storm door around his house and lifting a boat trailer and moving it around the yard. Sure, he had a lot of excuses, but I realized right then that this was not a person I would represent. I fired my client right there. Be honest with your doctor and your attorney.