Personal injury cases can be complicated, and often depend on the strength of each party’s evidence. If you are in an accident, collecting and preserving key pieces of evidence after the fact can often mean the difference between winning and losing. Find out more about what you should be sure to keep if you are ever injured in a collision.
If you are seriously injured after an auto accident, you probably will not be able to do much by way of collecting evidence immediately after the crash. Always put getting medical treatment ahead of worrying about a potential personal injury case, and never get in the way of police officers or first responders who are attempting to treat injured people.
If it is safe to do so, friends and family members may be able to take pictures, speak to witnesses, or collect evidence on your behalf immediately after the accident. In the same way, if your friend or family member is injured in the crash but you are not, you may be able to collect evidence on that person’s behalf. If you are unsure of what you should do, contact a personal injury attorney like those at Fighting for People Injury Law. Often, law firms will have investigators who can collect evidence quickly if they are contacted immediately after a collision.
While at the scene of an accident, attempt to take pictures if it is safe to do so. Document the position of the vehicles, and any damage to the cars. Also, attempt to capture any conditions which may have contributed to the accident, like slippery substances on the road, skid marks, or overgrown trees or shrubbery which may have impacted visibility.
Don’t rely on the police to take pictures on your behalf. While police investigators may do so in cases of a serious accident, most officers will not take pictures of the scene, and hardly any will do so with an eye on helping your personal injury case.
It is also very important to write down the names and addresses of any people who may have witnessed the accident. Again, when an accident resulted in severe injuries or a death, the police will often canvass the scene for witnesses. However, when the accident is relatively minor, it is unlikely that the police will go out of their way to find witnesses. It is important to look for witnesses as soon as possible, as most passersby will not stand around all day waiting to give a statement.
In the days and weeks following the accident, it is important to thoroughly document any injuries and keep track of any important paperwork.
First, make sure all of your injuries are reported to a doctor. Keep copies of any medical reports, and make sure to inform your doctor of any new symptoms or pains. Because personal injury cases often take months or even years to complete, it can be difficult for injured people to remember exactly how they felt in the weeks after an accident. For that reason, many people find it helpful to keep a journal that documents the healing process. Notes about how you felt and any problems that you experienced can be used to refresh your memory if you need to testify about your injuries.
Second, be sure to ask for and protect copies of important documents. These could include medical bills, police reports, vehicle repair statements, and the like. By asking for these documents and keeping them in a safe place, you can make sure that the reports are not accidentally lost or destroyed.
It can be difficult to track down important documents or collect evidence when dealing with an injury. In order to make the best case possible, it is vital to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after an accident.
At Fighting for People Injury Law, our office will investigate your accident on your behalf, and will help ease your burden after a collision. The sooner that you contact our attorneys, the more likely it is that our investigators can find evidence which will help your case.
If you or your loved one was injured in an accident, call us today at 215-396-9660 and schedule your free appointment. At Fighting for People Injury Law, our Pennsylvania and New Jersey injury attorneys fight for people and work to protect the rights of injured victims and consumers.
