Skipping over 10 pages of reading....I know an attorney (that means I'm not one) who had a case some years back on an auto wreck. Everything was going well until the opposing side submitted a picture of his clients bumper. The client had a bumper sticker that said basically "hit me, I need the money" Jury seemed to feel his client didn't need much money after that.
Yep.
If you ever sit to give a deposition in a lawsuit, you might be surprised when the opposing attorney asks you, usually right after asking for your name and address, if you've ever been arrested.
What does that have to do with being a witness in a lawsuit? Easy: The attorney is looking for dirt on you, as a way to discredit things you might say in your testimony. Your personal history may have nothing to do with the facts of case at hand, but that doesn't mean the attorney can't use it to shade a jury's perception of your testimony.
A trial is not only about facts. It's also about perception.