Preserving and Protecting Evidence in a Car Accident Case

In cases where liability is in dispute, there could be a significant gap between the insurance company's claim and the true extent of your injuries. This is particularly true when the insurance company blames your accident on some other factor than your negligence.

During this time, your team will request information from the other side via depositions and interrogatories. These questions will be asked of witnesses, the driver who was not involved and others.

Conserving Evidence

The evidence you gather in a car accident could increase your chances to win settlements or recover damages. This is why it is essential to keep and protect all evidence after a crash.

Thanks to the advances in technology, this is now easier than ever before. Smartphones can be used to take high-quality photos and videos of the accident scene. Utilizing these tools can help record important evidence that would otherwise be lost or destroyed.

The most important pieces of evidence are the crash site as well as witnesses. Try to capture the scene of the accident shortly after the collision. This could include all cars involved in the crash, any skid marks on the road or other surfaces, traffic signals, weather conditions as well as other factors that are relevant to the crash.

It is also advisable to contact nearby businesses to ask them to preserve any evidence relevant to your case. For instance, if you were struck by a truck, requesting that the black box of the truck be preserved could be beneficial to your case.

If you believe that the driver in the other car was under the influence of drugs or negligent, asking their drug tests could also be helpful in your case. These tests could prove that they were drunk or distracted when driving, which would be strong evidence of their fault for causing the accident.

Documenting your injuries

In personal injury cases, thorough documentation is crucial. Not only will this ensure that your healthcare provider is aware of the symptoms but it will also help your attorney prove your losses and damages when claiming damages against the responsible party for negligence.

Medical records are among the most essential types of documentation. When you visit your doctor for treatment after an accident, you should be given copies of every record. These records will be official documents detailing your injuries, symptoms, and diagnoses. Additionally, these documents document any expenses incurred as a result of the accident. This is crucial since a large portion of these expenses could be refunded as part your compensation claim.

It is also a good idea to keep a diary of your mental and physical condition following the incident. This should include any pain you feel and what areas of your body are affected and the exact time that pain occurs. It is also essential to record any mental trauma that you may be suffering from, as juries typically decide to award damages that are not economic in type of injury.

If you're able to then it's also a good idea to take pictures of your injuries as well as the scene of the crash. You can take photos of the vehicle you are driving, other vehicles that were involved in the accident and any other damage to objects (such the building or sign). It is recommended to capture several photos of each item from various angles and distances so that the investigators can clearly see the accident's cause.

Collecting Witness Statements

In the ideal situation, witness statements should be collected as quickly as possible after an accident. Keep in mind that memories fade with time. It is recommended to get witnesses to give their statements as quickly as possible. The more details you are able to provide, the better. It is also recommended that any interview with a witness be recorded (with their permission of course) because this will help to ensure an accurate version of what they experienced.

It's also worth looking for witnesses outside the immediate area of your accident. You might ask local business owners if anyone witnessed your auto accident attorney accident lawsuits (informative post). This could result in the footage of your accident being filmed on a security camera at a store.

It's also worth ensuring that any statements made by potential witnesses do not contain guesses or opinions regarding the outcome of your accident or feelings of sympathy for other victims who were involved in the collision. These statements could undermine your credibility, especially if they are contradicted by other witnesses. It is recommended to not request testimony from any person who has knowledge of the person at the fault for your injuries or works with their employer, since they may attempt to influence your claim in favor of the company they represent. If this is the case, you may not receive the compensation you need.

Contacting an Attorney

When you are evaluating an attorney, be sure they have the resources to conduct thorough investigations of your crash. This could involve visiting the site of the crash, speaking with witnesses and gathering other documentation about the crash and your injuries.

Once your attorney has reviewed all the documentation they can find, they'll begin an agreement negotiation process with the insurance company of the driver who is at fault. This process is designed to ensure that you get an equitable settlement without the need for an appeal. Your attorney can negotiate with the insurance company many times before settling on a settlement.

The severity of your injury will have a major impact on the amount of compensation you receive. Acute injuries are often the cause of greater medical expenses and long-lasting effects that require more extensive care. Some car accident victims may need surgery to correct long-term injury damages. These costs would be included in your overall economic damages.

Your lawyer will also consider the medical needs of your future and the diminished quality of life that your injuries have wrought. If you sustained permanent injuries in an accident that required you to remodel your house in order to be able to access all areas of it you can count the cost of this in your non-economic loss.