If this is your first time ever to deal with a personal injury case, then you must know that gathering evidence for it is not going to be as smooth as you may think. On the contrary, sometimes, it can be pretty challenging.
Of course, this varies from case to case. But still, everything that’s related to it can be pretty overwhelming, especially if you do not have any previous experience when it comes to this. If your injuries were caused by someone’s negligence, then it’s of huge importance to start working on your case as soon as possible.
In other words, you need to start gathering evidence. Bear in mind that the more you collect the stronger your case is going to be. If you could use some guidance as far as this is concerned, then pay attention to the advice that is about to be mentioned.
Table of Contents
Police Or Accident Report
One of the first items that you need to gather in order to properly build your personal injury case is this one. Law enforcement is the one that prepares these reports for these types of situations as soon as they thoroughly investigate the scene.
The police report is then documented, based on the details that were acquired during the survey. Details that can be found on the police report typically contain diagrams of the accident, the statements from the witnesses, other drivers, and the person who caused this incident.
Furthermore, if other accidents caused the crash, then information concerning them will be added as well. If you do not have time to gather a police report because you are too focused on obtaining other relevant evidence, then you can always ask your personal injury attorney to do this on your behalf. They can generally be of huge help when it comes to collecting other pieces of evidence.
You Also Need Medical Records
If you were injured in an accident, then you probably went to the hospital in order to get properly checked by the doctor. If that’s the case, then it’s essential to demand the medical records you received.
Now, this doesn’t refer solely to the car collisions, but to any other incident that jeopardized your health that was a direct result of someone else’s negligence. In these instances, you can acquire medical records that were made while you were at the hospital, that showcase how these injuries affected not only your physical health but mental health as well.
These records usually contain lab results, medical bill receipts, clinical records, prescriptions, treatment plans, rehabilitation reports, and many other important data. If you talked to different healthcare providers while you were in the emergency room, such as nurses, physicians, surgeons, and other medical experts, then make sure to write down their names and what they did in order to provide you with the best care.
Anything that you consider essential when it comes to this should be added to your medical report because that will certainly benefit your case even more.
Don’t Forget To Take Pictures
One of the most critical pieces of evidence is surely this one. Keep in mind that it’s pivotal to document the scene of the accident, along with the injuries that you sustained. That’s something that you can easily do with your smartphone camera.
Fortunately, practically every modern cell phone has a very good camera, which means that you do not need any professional camera in order for you to collect the right evidence, so be sure to make use of your mobile phone. There are a couple of things that you need to take into account during this process, and they include the following:
- You need to take pictures of all your injuries, as well as the place where the accident happened
- Make sure to take several pictures, not just one, from various angles
- If you are able to, you should take videos too!
- When putting together all the images and videos you have, make sure that both time and date are showcased on them
- If you can, you should go back to the scene of the accident around the same time so you can replicate the conditions
Then There Are Witness Statements
Those who have gone through accidents, especially the ones that are considered very serious or even life-threatening have a hard time remembering every single detail. That’s when witness statements come into play.
They can be of major assistance when it comes to building your personal injury claim. That’s because these people are most likely capable of recalling a vast majority of things (if not everything) that occurred during the accident.
This refers to things like what caused the accident, who was involved, or anything else that may contribute to your case. What’s great about these statements is the fact that they are unbiased because these people do not have any reason to lie or alter reality.
If you’re scared that they might forget something that’s crucial for your case, then you can always ask them to jot down anything they can think of, and also, make sure to ask for their contact information because maybe they’ll need to go to court.
If they do not want to make any written statements, but would rather give oral statements. If that’s the case, then you should record them on any device that you have within your reach like a cell phone or tablet.
Whatever is more convenient for you. The whole point of all of this is to have a piece of evidence that will undeniably support your case not only against the liable party but with the insurance company as well.
Don’t Forget The Financial Aspect Of It
This refers to lost wages and other opportunities that are now lost because of someone else’s negligence and carelessness. If you want to recover all of this, then you need to request a letter from the employer that will contain things like rate of pay, job title, missed days, lost wages, etc.
As you can see, there are a lot of things that need to be taken care of in these instances, and you cannot overlook or skip any of them, otherwise, you will increase the risk of a negative outcome.
