If you are involved in a car accident someone else causes, you will want them to compensate you for your losses, such as medical bills, wages you miss out on while you are recovering, your emotional trauma, and the funds to repair or replace your vehicle.
You are probably not thinking about this while you are still stunned and in pain. Ensuring your safety and the safety of others should come first. If you are able, remember that the evidence you and your car accident attorney present to an insurance company or a jury substantiates the amount of compensation you are seeking, and if you can retrieve some evidence at the scene, you are ahead of the opposition.
What Evidence is Crucial to Successful Car Accident Claims?
Each piece of evidence you gather and deliver to your attorney tells its own story about what happened to you. Your personal injury attorney will turn each piece of evidence into a greater story to be used in insurance negotiations and to build a negligence case against the at-fault motorist. The evidence and why it’s crucial includes:
- Police reports are an official record of a trained officer’s findings and conclusions
- Medical records back up your injury claim for compensation to reimburse you for medical treatment and rehabilitative care
- Cell phone and surveillance camera stills and videos show your injuries and the condition of the cars, as well as road conditions and surrounding traffic signals as the accident unfolds
- Witness statements are unbiased accounts of what was observed
- Noted weather conditions that could explain why the accident happened, such as in a torrential downpour
Your attorney can enlist the help of expert witnesses if necessary, as another layer of credibility to what happened in your car crash. Remember, the plaintiff has the burden of proof showing compensation is appropriate, although the defendant will get a chance to tell their side, too.
As Soon as Possible After a Car Accident, Follow Up on Crucial Evidence
Along with documenting your accident, exchange contact information with witnesses and the at-fault driver. Do not volunteer any suppositions about how the accident happened and do not apologize for it happening or presume any blame. That is the job of the police officer who is called to make a report.
To obtain a copy of the police report, contact the law enforcement agency that investigated your accident, and make sure you know the date, location, and the approximate time of the crash. These reports are the foundation of any personal injury claim and failing to obtain one can seriously compromise your case.
Insurance companies also rely heavily on them presumably to allocate some blame to you hoping you will settle for less money if they convince you that you have some culpability. Your personal injury attorney should be aware of the ploys insurers use to derail your claim. Along with the crucial evidence you gather, the most important factor is to choose an attorney who is at home at the negotiating table and in the courtroom.
Call Schechter Shaffer & Harris for Top-Notch Legal Representation
Your claim can win or fail based on the attorneys you choose to advocate for you. Our team has decades of experience fighting for families like yours because you do not deserve to be in the position a careless motorist put you in. Call us today and let us show you what we can do with important evidence collected after your car crash.
