Tips on Gathering Evidence For Car Accident Cases

The impact of a car accident can be deeply traumatic long after the accident. You may be at home a week later, looking at the physical bruises, the damage to the car, and the bills to cover the costs. Naturally, you’ll want the driver at fault to be the one to pay, and it’s not too late to make that happen. You can still gather evidence and have a car accident attorney advise you on how to make a claim. You just need the right forms of evidence.

What Types Of Evidence Count?

Honesty, any sort of evidence you can get hold of, can help in some way. It’s always better to have a lot of different pieces of evidence to build up a stronger case, even if you believe a piece is a little weak on its own. You never know what that one image or statement could lead to. There could be a domino effect where it brings up a line of questioning about behaviors or uncovers a lie, which could then swing the case completely in your favor. Of course, you have to be prepared for the defense doing the same to try and catch you out as a pedestrian or car driver. They’ll try to prove that some sort of negligence or exaggerated claim should make your case worthless. Your car accident attorney can help you navigate all that when preparing for court. For now, let’s focus on some of the types of evidence you can get.

Vehicle Damage

Hopefully, you’ll already have plenty of evidence of vehicle damage from your insurance claim. You can use what you have on that claim and all the photographic proof to progress with a car accident lawsuit. You could use photos from the scene of the crime if you took any, as these are the best way to show exactly what happened on the day and the damage at its worst. You can also use invoices from repair work to show what had to be done to fix it. That invoice also comes in handy later when dealing with compensation. If you weren’t in a car, and this is a case of car vs. bike or car vs. pedestrian, you can still do this with any damage to your bike or personal property.

Physical Injuries

Evidence of physical injuries goes a long way when claiming to gain compensation. You may have medical bills you can use that highlight why you were treated in the hospital or prescribed medication. Those give a professional, third-party account for your case. Photos of physical injuries help to reinforce the message and show the direct impact of a collision. It doesn’t matter if it’s a photo of a limb in a cast or some more minor cuts and bruises. They all count. Car accident lawyers also recommend adding evidence of a pain journal to indicate pain and suffering in the weeks after the incident.

Evidence From The Scene

This is going to be harder to deal with if you didn’t collect anything at the time. It always helps to have evidence of the road conditions so drivers can’t start talking about an oil spill or icy roads. You can also give evidence of the layout of a road or intersection to help prove they were at fault. Hindsight is 20:20, but if you can find a way to add this evidence now, do so. You could also ask around for video or dashcam footage to help you out.

Police Reports

Police reports from the accident are also invaluable forms of evidence in car accident cases. If they were called to the scene and questioned everyone there, there should be an official report on what really happened. Police reports can also help uncover details about the situation and the driver that could be damning. For example, maybe it became clear they were texting while driving and were charged for it. Maybe they failed a breath test and were charged for driving while intoxicated instead. Either way, it helps the case.

Witness Statements

Finally, there’s the potential benefit of witness statements. The best are those from people who were present at the accident and can verify everything you claim in your case file. This could be someone who was in the car with you and has first-hand experience or personal trauma of their own. It could be someone walking down the street who had a better view of the collision. There’s also an advantage in getting character statements about your well-being after the accident, as this can help when awarding damages.

Using Strong Evidence To Gain Compensation

As long as you have a strong case file with enough evidence to back up your claims, you should find it much easier to gain compensation from the driver at fault. Compensation can cover economic damages suffered as a result of the incident or any related injuries. This includes any medical bills for treatment after the accident and ongoing therapy or bills to cover the damage to the car. It can also include a loss of earnings if you were unable to work because your car was off the road or you were left with severe injuries. On top of that, you might get non-economic damages related to pain and suffering. That’s where those photographs of the injuries and witness statements about the traumatic circumstances can help.

So, if you are in a position where you’re suffering after a car accident and don’t feel as though you have received justice, it’s not too late to make a claim and get the compensation you deserve. Let the best car accident attorney advise you on how to compile evidence and make a case. They can help you use the images and reports from your insurance claim, go further with additional police reports and statements and show that the other driver was completely wrong. They’ll then be by your side in court to present the evidence, proof without a shadow of a doubt that you experienced pain and suffering, and get you what you deserve.

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