How To Gather Evidence For Your Personal Injury Claim

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In the aftermath of any automotive accident, your chances of receiving a fair settlement for your injuries and damages come down to the facts of the case. Without sufficient evidence to prove your personal injury claim, the judge may not be able to render a verdict in your favor. For this reason, it's crucial that you gather as much evidence as possible to support your personal injury claim. The following offers a few pointers you can use when gathering evidence for your claim.

Take As Many Photos as Possible

Immediately after the accident, make sure to take as many photos of the accident scene as possible. In addition to taking photos of the damage done to all the vehicles involved in the accident, you should also take photos of any personal injuries you've sustained during the accident, including any bruises, swelling and abrasions. You should also take photos of damage sustained to your personal property other than your vehicle, including any damage taken by your clothing and other belongings.

Before you take your photos, you'll want to make sure you have the timestamp feature activated on your camera. This feature places a watermark of the date and time on the lower left or right sides of the photograph. You'll also want to make sure the time on the timestamp matches up with the correct time listed on your watch or smartphone.

If you're not able to immediately take photos due to severe injury and a need for immediate medical assistance, make it a point to return to the scene of the accident and take photos of the area. In many cases, there will be telltale indicators of the accident left behind, including skid marks, broken glass and plastic trim fragments.

Obtain Relevant Info from Other Parties Involved

The next step of gathering evidence for your personal injury claim involves obtaining information from the other parties involved in the accident. This information should include the names of the other drivers and passengers, along with their phone numbers and other contact information. You and your attorney will need this evidence in order to push your personal injury claim case forward.

Don't Forget About Dash Cam Footage

Dash cams are becoming a popular accessory in many vehicles, thanks in large part to their footage-capturing capabilities. In many cases, an active dash cam can provide an unflinching account of the accident along with the events leading up to that point. Most courts will allow dash cam footage to be entered into evidence. However, there may be some exceptions to consider. Your attorney can advise you further on the issues and limitations of using dash cam footage to bolster your personal injury claim. If you haven't retained an attorney yet, you should consider visiting a site like http://www.welsh-law.com/. 

Gather as Many Eyewitness Statements as Possible

If there were any bystanders nearby at the time of your accident, you'll want to gather as many eyewitness statements from them as possible, along with their names and contact information. This includes pedestrians and other motorists who may have seen the accident or at least events leading up to the accident. Having numerous eyewitness accounts of these events will prove advantageous in court, since the judge must rely on eyewitness testimony in addition to other evidence to render a proper verdict.

Hold On to Your Medical Records

if you need to seek medical attention for your injuries, you should hold on to all of your medical records pertaining to your injuries. These include paramedic reports, test results, emergency room charts and treatment plans, just to name a few documents. Under most circumstances, records of your medical treatment serve as concrete evidence of your injuries and damages, thus making it easier to receive the fair compensation you deserve.

Don't Forget About the Police Report

The police report filed shortly after the accident is one of the strongest pieces of hard evidence you'll have to support your personal injury claim. A sworn law enforcement officer's official account of the events surrounding the accident is far more likely to have weight and hold up to scrutiny in the court's eyes. Make it a point to obtain a copy of your police report and keep it with the rest of your records. Have your attorney carefully read through the police report to make sure that there isn't any discrepancies between the officer's version of events and yours.

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15 December 2016