Information You Need to Collect for Your Car Accident Lawyer
December 10, 2018 | Car Accidents
If you feel that a driver has acted negligently and that you have been wronged by them, you should talk to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. Whether the driver damaged your vehicle, other property of yours, or you were injured because of a car accident they caused, you could be entitled to damages and have a valid car accident claim.
For a car accident to be valid, there are a few things that need to be proved. To prove this, start with collecting evidence from the scene of the accident. Evidence that should be collected for your car accident lawyer includes:
- Documentation of the scene of the accident
- Insurance and contact information for any drivers and witnesses involved
- Accounts from witnesses of the accident and their contact information
- A copy of the police report
- A medical report confirming your injuries from the accident
- Out-of-pocket expenses that occurred because of the accident
- Lost wages because of your injuries
Why is it Important to Document the Scene and Collect Information for a Car Accident Lawyer?
Failure to collect information from the scene of a car accident you are involved in could be a costly and big mistake. Pictures of damage done in the accident can go a long way when it comes time for the court to decide who is at fault in the car accident. Without pictures of the damage done to vehicles in the accident, the personal property in the vehicle, any injuries you sustained, and a copy of the other driver’s license plate, it is easy for a “he-said-she-said” situation to occur between the parties involved. This makes it difficult to establish liability, and doesn’t allow for your car accident lawyer to have proper evidence to back up their argument for your car accident claim.
How are Police and Medical Reports Helpful for a Car Accident Lawyer?
Police reports and medical reports are powerful pieces of evidence for determining what damages were done in the car accident. Police reports generally contain information from the scene of the accident, opinions from authorities on why it happened. Things that are specifically included in police reports from a car accident are:
- Where and when the car accident happened
- The condition of the weather at the time of the crash
- Diagrams of the scene
- What economic damages were done, and if anyone was hurt
- Information from anyone that was involved in the accident or a witness to it
- What laws were violated in the accident
- Who the Police think was at-fault for the accident
Similarly, medical reports provide information on damage from the accident but include detailed information on non-economic damages such as mental and physical injuries. The report, which is created by a licensed doctor, contains an official diagnosis of injuries, a plan for treatment, the outlook of the injuries (semi-permanent or permanent), and whether or not the injured party can resume normal activities such as exercising or going to work.
It is essential to file both of these reports, not just for the safety of your health, but so that your case has concrete, official evidence from the accident. Your local personal injury lawyer will take this information and use it to state what damages you sustained, what type of damage, and why you have grounds to receive compensation for your injuries.
Determining Damages and Out-of-Pocket Expenses from the Accident
Keep track of any medical expenses that have occurred because of the accident including medical bills, car rentals, lost wages, and anything else that you were required to pay for out-of-pocket because of the accident. Collecting this information for your personal injury lawyer will provide the court with evidence about what happened in the accident, why it happened, what damage was done, and who is at-fault for the accident happening. Without this information, the negligent driver could spin the details of what happened in the car accident and get away with being responsible for any damage or injuries did to you and your property.
If you have been involved in a car accident and are considering filing a car accident claim or lawsuit, make sure that you are doing this with the help of a personal injury lawyer. An experienced personal injury lawyer will give you advice on what damages you are able to claim from the accident, how strong your case is, and what they think the likely outcome of your case is. To speak to a personal injury lawyer about your case, contact the Dixon Injury Firm to start exploring the options that are available for winning your car accident claim.