How Do You Collect and Preserve Car Accident Evidence?
The collection of car accident evidence should begin at the scene whenever possible. Start by taking photographs of the scene with your smartphone or digital camera. You should also make a video of the entire scene. Some of the types of pictures you should take include the following:
- Damage to both vehicles
- Positions of the vehicles
- Tire skid marks
- Road conditions
- Nearby traffic lights, signs, landmarks, and signals
- Debris or obstructions on the roadway
- Weather conditions
- Visible injuries
- Other motorist’s license plate and the vehicle’s make and model
It is important to snap photographs at the scene whenever possible. If you can’t, if possible, ask for a friend to take them for you. After you leave the scene, the debris might be cleaned up, and the vehicles will likely be moved. Taking photographs and video immediately after the collision allows you to establish a record of the scene as it existed right after your wreck.
Pictures might help your attorney determine liability and the causes of the crash. An accident reconstruction expert can review the photos, go to the scene, take measurements, and make calculations to help determine what happened in the moments leading up to the crash based on the photographic evidence. Photos of the road and weather conditions might also help your attorney determine whether the weather or road conditions contributed to the collision. Photos help you preserve how things appeared when your crash occurred.
If you can’t take photographs because of your injuries, you can still get a police report. The police report also helps you to preserve a record. Most responding officers include details about the road conditions, visibility, weather, the location of damage on both vehicles, and the final positions of each vehicle. The police report will likely also include the names and contact information of everyone involved in the crash as well as statements from any witnesses. If the other driver committed a traffic offense that caused your wreck, the police report will include information about the driver’s citation or arrest.
How Preserving Evidence Might Help Your Case
If you have suffered serious injuries, you might be able to file a claim with the other driver’s insurance policy. You will need to show that the damages you have suffered were caused by the other driver’s negligence to recover compensation.
You will have to present evidence to prove each of the elements of negligence to show that the other driver was at fault for your crash, injuries, and losses. Evidence such as your medical records, photographs of the damage and the scene, and the police report can be quite helpful for proving the other driver’s liability and your claim.
Insurance company investigations typically take some time. Preserving the evidence so that you have it months after your crash is critical because your attorney might need to provide it to the insurance company during the negotiations or in discovery if you have to file a formal lawsuit. If your case goes to trial, you will also need to present evidence to prove your case to a jury.
Talk to an Experienced Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in a collision because of someone else’s actions, you will need to be able to prove the other person’s negligence. To do so, you will need to present strong car accident evidence to support your claim. The experienced car accident lawyers at Ellis & Associates understand how to advocate for our clients to recover maximal compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation by calling 800-MR-ELLIS or sending us a message online.