Evidence You Can Use To Prove A Car Crash Case

Being involved in a car crash can be disorienting. However, if you remember one thing after an accident, let it be this: evidence is extremely important. If you were in a car accident, gathering evidence is an ideal way to protect yourself and your legal rights should you decide to move forward with a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries. The following types of evidence can help strengthen your claim.

Evidence Used to Prove a Car Crash Case

Accident Reconstruction

Accident reconstruction offers a scientific approach that helps answer questions about how the car crash happened and who was at fault. These reconstructions are conducted by specialists who investigate and analyze the various facets of the accident in order to form expert conclusions about it. Accident reconstructionists study the accident in reverse, beginning their investigation by examining property damage to the vehicles involved. These experts are particularly helpful in cases where an accident caused serious injuries or death.

Eyewitnesses

People who witnessed the accident may be able to help you strengthen your case, if they agree with your version of events. In order to make use of eyewitness testimony, make sure to get contact information from witnesses at the scene of the accident, including full name, address, phone number, and email address. Keep this information with other accident-related records so that your car accident attorney can contact the witnesses, if necessary.

Expert Witnesses

An accident reconstructionist is not the only kind of expert used in car crash personal injury cases. Other examples of expert witnesses include medical personnel, rehabilitation specialists, economists, and engineering specialists. These expert witnesses can analyze complex details of an accident and offer their educated opinions on a variety of things at trial, such as how an accident caused a victim's injuries; how the injuries will affect the person's earning potential; and the speed at which the involved vehicles were moving at the time of the crash.

Medical Bills and Medical Records

Medical bills and records are some of the most important evidence in a car crash case. Medical bills can even help determine the amount of a potential settlement, and medical records from the doctors who treated your injuries can help establish the seriousness of the injuries, and provide insight into how those injuries will affect your day-to-day activities.

Photographs

The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” is especially true in car crash cases—except, instead of being worth “a thousand words” in a personal injury case, photos may be worth thousands of dollars in an settlement award. To shore up your accident claim, take photos of the accident scene; the property damage to your vehicle; and any injuries you or your passengers sustained.

Police Report

Although they're generally inadmissible in court, police reports can come in handy during settlement negotiations. Police reports contain valuable facts about the accident, from the names of witnesses to which driver was at fault and other circumstances surrounding the event. To obtain a copy of the police report about your accident, simply call the police department and ask for it.

Clothing

If you were injured in a car crash and the clothing you were wearing at the time of the accident reflects those injuries, it's important to save it. Keep the clothing in the condition it was in after the crash in case your attorney needs to present it as evidence.

Weather Reports

Weather reports for the day and time of the accident can be extremely helpful, as they provide an idea of what conditions were like at the scene of the crash. Inclement weather—such as rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc. —can show that the road was more treacherous when the accident occurred. However, even sunny skies can contribute to an accident by obscuring a driver's vision.

Were You Injured in an Accident?

If you or someone you love was injured in a car crash, gathering evidence can help you build a strong personal injury case. The more evidence you document, the more likely you are to achieve a successful resolution to your case and gain a fair settlement offer that allows you to get back on your feet. To schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your legal options, call McGartland Law Firm at 1-866-832-9300 or complete our online contact form. Our firm has 30 years of experience fighting for accident victims just like you.