After you are involved in a car accident, you might find yourself in a legal dispute with the other driver over who is liable. The results of this dispute might lead to a reduction in the value of your settlement. One factor that might be taken into consideration is your prior driving record.

Why the Insurance Provider Might Want Your Driving Records

The insurance provider of the at-fault driver might request your driving records with the goal of holding you responsible for the auto accident. If this is the case, you will not need to listen to the insurance provider, and you should instead contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

When an insurance provider requests information that is relevant to your claim, you should provide it so that your claim can move forward. However, an insurance provider will sometimes seek information that is not relevant such as:

• Past medical records that are not relevant
• A recorded statement
• Your past driving record

Your attorney will help you understand what information you should supply. If the insurance provider obtains your past driving records, they might discover some evidence that you drove in an unsafe manner in the past. They might use this fact to reduce your settlement amount by claiming that you must have contributed to the accident with your unsafe driving.

How to Help Your Attorney Build a Solid Case

You will want to tell your attorney everything, and you may want to inform them about your past driving record. Then, if the information is later revealed, your attorney will already be prepared for these details and will be able to effectively argue that they are not relevant to your case if the insurance provider somehow obtains your past driving records.

For example, if you are engaged in settlement negotiations, you will not have to disclose your past driving record. But if your case goes to trial, you may be forced to disclose it as part of discovery. Your attorney is required to keep all communications between you and them confidential and only needs some information to be able to more effectively assist you. 

How to Maximize Your Compensation

To maximize your compensation, your personal injury attorney will help you prove that the other driver was responsible for the accident by investigating the cause of the accident.

For example, the driver might have blown past a stop sign and collided with your vehicle while you were making a left-hand turn. This, in turn, may be used to counter any claims that you were actually at fault for the accident.

For more tips, contact a local personal injury attorney.