After a motor vehicle accident happens, recovering financial compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and property damage is a top priority. Having physical evidence, reports, and witness statements to prove what occurred and the losses suffered is essential to proving negligence and maximizing your recovery.
While no one type of evidence is more important than another, certain kinds of evidence can be critical to showing how the accident happened and the damages it caused. A New York City car accident lawyer understands what the insurance adjusters are looking for. Gathering and presenting the right evidence is often critical to proving liability and recovering fair compensation.
Photographs and videos are helpful pieces of evidence following a car accident. These photos can document the scene, damage, and visible injuries. Dashcam footage and accident scene photos can help the insurance companies determine what occurred and make a fault determination.
If you are unable to take photos of the scene, you will still want to take photos once you can of all visible bodily injuries and the damage to your vehicle. Additionally, authorities or others may have taken photos or video footage of the accident that your lawyer may be able to obtain.
Witness statements help to clarify what occurred and reinforce the injured party’s allegations. Eyewitness testimony can be powerful during depositions or in court. These statements help to provide first-hand insights into what occurred. However, this testimony can be unreliable due to faulty memories or biases.
After a car accident, you will want to gather as much information from potential witnesses as possible. Names, contact details, and what they saw may prove helpful when it comes time to make an insurance claim or go to court.
It is important to call the police after a car accident. Resulting traffic citations and police officer statements of what they observed can be beneficial during injury claim negotiations and in legal proceedings. Additionally, police reports often will include vital information about the scene such as vehicle positions, traffic signs, road conditions, and skid marks.
After a crash, the police will take statements from those involved and any eyewitnesses. They will also document the scene and may even call in accident reconstruction specialists for serious motor vehicle crashes. These reports can serve as a cornerstone to your personal injury case.
Medical records and bills serve as evidence of the injuries a crash victim sustained and the economic damages they’ve suffered. Your lawyer will request all of your medical records including any scans, x-rays, doctor’s notes, and prognosis. You will also want to provide your attorney with any bills you receive and receipts for expenses related to your injuries.
Medical expert opinions can also be critical to maximizing compensation. These records and expert witness testimony can help prove the extent of the injuries and the long-term consequences.
Employment and income records are important evidence for recovering lost past and future wages. Proof of lost wages can make a significant difference in the amount of compensation a person can recover. Your lawyer will want to show that you were unable to work due to the accident, how long you were out of work, and lost earning capacity, if any.
Amongst the key accident documents, vehicle damage reports are vital. Body damage estimates help to determine the costs to repair or replace your car and are important to your property damage claim. Vehicle maintenance records are also essential to showing the condition of your car prior to the record.
Moreover, black box data from your car and other vehicles involved can help prove what happened during the crash. Your personal injury lawyer can compile all records related to your vehicle to present to the insurance company.
Surveillance footage, like other photos and videos, can provide insight into the cause of the car accident. After a crash happens, police officers or your lawyer may determine whether there are surveillance cameras in the area and if they captured video of the crash. These cameras may be located on businesses, traffic lights, and even on residential properties.
Comprehensive evidence is crucial when car accident cases go to court. Accident reconstruction reports, BAC and toxicology test results, road condition reports, cell phone records, weather reports, and even social media posts can all help bolster a personal injury claim. Injured parties will want to create and maintain records of everything related to the collision and provide that documentation to their attorney.
When it comes time to file a car accident claim, an experienced attorney at Gregory Spektor & Associates, P.C. can help. Your lawyer can gather the evidence needed in automobile accident cases, building a solid personal injury claim to present to the insurance company. If you need help with your car crash case, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation.
