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Preserving and Protecting Evidence in a Car Accident Case
If liability is disputed, there could be a significant gap between the insurance company's offer and the totality of your injuries. This is particularly true when the insurance company blames your crash on something other than your negligence.
During this time the team will be asking for information from the other side via interrogatories and depositions. These questions will be posed to the other driver, witnesses and more.
Preservation of Evidence
In the case of a car crash the evidence you possess can significantly increase the chances of obtaining a settlement and recovering damages. This is why it is vital that you keep and protect the evidence you collect after an auto accident law firms.
Fortunately, it is now more simple than ever before to do this, thanks to the advancements in technology. Smartphones can be used for taking high-quality images and videos of the scene of the crash. These tools can assist in capturing evidence that would otherwise be lost or destroyed.
The crash site itself and any witnesses are the most important evidence. It is recommended that you try to capture the scene as it existed right after the collision. This could comprise all vehicles involved in the crash, any skid marks left on the road and other road surfaces, weather conditions, traffic signals as well as other factors that are relevant to the crash.
You should also consider contacting nearby businesses to ask them to save any evidence that could be relevant to your case. For instance, if you were struck by a truck, requesting that the black truck's box be preserved could be beneficial to your case.
If you believe that the driver in the other car was drunk or negligent, asking their drug tests may also prove helpful in your case. The tests could prove that the driver was drunk or distracted, which could be a strong indication of their negligence in creating an accident.
Documenting Your Injury
In personal injury cases, thorough documentation is crucial. This will not only guarantee that your healthcare provider is aware about your condition and symptoms, but will also help your lawyer prove your losses and damage in a negligence case against the person who is responsible.
Medical records are among the most essential types of documentation. Ask for copies of all records whenever you visit your doctor for treatment after an Auto Accident. These records will help explain your injuries, symptoms and diagnoses. These records also document the expenses you have incurred because of the accident. This is important as a lot of these costs can be refunded as part of your compensation claim.
Keep a diary of your physical and emotional condition following the accident. This should include any pain that you feel and what areas of your body are affected and the time when the pain is felt. Also, if suffering from mental trauma, it is important to document this also, since juries typically award non-economic damages for this kind of pain.
If you're able then it's also a good idea to get photographs of your injuries as well as the scene of the crash. This can include photographs of your vehicle, any other vehicles involved in the crash and any damage that could have been done to other objects (such as a building or sign). It is best to capture multiple photos of each object from various angles to help the investigators identify the exact cause of the crash.
Collecting witness statements
In a perfect world witness statements should be gathered as quickly as possible after an accident. Keep in mind that memory loss occurs with time. It is recommended to get witnesses to give their statements as quickly as possible. The more detail you can provide the more details you can provide, the better. It is also recommended to record any interview with witness (with their consent, of course), as this will help ensure that the witness's statement is accurate.
Also, you should look for witnesses who are not within the immediate vicinity of your accident. For instance, you could want to ask people who work at local businesses whether they were witnesses to your car accident. This could result in footage of your crash being recorded on the security camera at a shop that could be helpful in your situation.
You should also make sure that any statements made by witnesses do not include opinions, feelings or guesses about the outcome of the incident or feelings of sympathy for you or any other victims. These statements could be damaging to your credibility, particularly when they are contradicted by a different witness. Avoid asking anyone who knows the person who caused your injuries, or works for their employer to be a witness. They may attempt to attempt to influence your claim for the company they represent. If this is the case, you may not be able to get the compensation you need.
Contacting an Attorney
Take into consideration whether an attorney has the resources to conduct a an exhaustive investigation into your accident. This could involve visiting the site of the crash, talking to witnesses, and gathering documentation regarding the accident and your injuries.
After your lawyer has reviewed all the documentation they could collect, they will start an agreement negotiation process with the insurance company for the driver who is at fault. The aim of this process is to reach an acceptable settlement without the need for a trial. Your lawyer may need to negotiate with the insurance company several times before an agreement can be reached.
The severity of your injuries will play a crucial role in the amount of compensation you receive. Severe injuries often lead to greater medical expenses and long-lasting consequences that require more comprehensive treatment. Certain victims of car accidents may require surgery to correct long-term injury damage. These costs will be included in your total economic damage.
Your attorney will also consider the future medical requirements of you in addition to the diminished quality of life caused by your injuries. If you sustained permanent injuries in an accident that required you to remodel your home to make it accessible to all parts of it, you can count the cost of this in your non-economic damages.