In order to be awarded compensation for your auto accident or personal injury, you must be able to prove that you are injured, that the accident or negligence caused your injury, and that your injury cost you the amount of money that you are claiming. Being able to prove this stems directly from the information and evidence you are able to present for your case. There are a few ways that you can collect and preserve evidence that should be included in your next steps after an injury or accident and that will assist you in backing up your claim. Let’s check them out.
Keep a Journal
As soon as you can after an injury or accident, start a journal. Begin by writing down every detail that you can remember about the incident, including what caused it, who was involved, the timing, who was around, and any other detail you can think of. Get everything on paper while it is still fresh in your mind. In addition to details of the accident, write down any injury symptoms you may be feeling. Keep updating this journal as your injuries progress, and make note of dates and times that new symptoms occur, as well as appointments with your doctors and anything else that may be relevant. Tracking the specifics like this will help you prove how your injury affects your everyday life and how it has impacted you financially.
Have Witnesses Write it Down
If there are witnesses to your accident or injury, see if you can get written statements about how the situation occurred in their own words. If they are unable to provide a written testimony at the scene, ask them for their contact information and send them a request for their version of the story shortly after. It is important to not delay too long with this request, as you want the details to be relatively fresh in their minds when they jot their testimony down.
Document the Scene
If you were injured as the result of hazardous conditions on a property, or as a result of an auto accident, documenting the scene can be crucial to proving who was at fault for the incident. In addition to writing down details about the settings in which the accident occurred, it is also a good idea to photograph the area as much as you can. Get pictures of the hazardous walkway that caused you to trip or slip and fall. Get pictures of the car, including the license plate and the driver who is at fault for the collision. Get pictures of the surrounding area, of licenses and insurances, and the injuries you have sustained. Documenting these crucial details can help your attorney pinpoint exact references and use the information to further your case, getting you the compensation that you deserve.
Act Fast
When it comes to gathering evidence for your personal injury or auto accident case, it is better to get it sooner rather than later. Fresh evidence is more pertinent to the success of your case, and documenting things as they are immediately helps to avoid the possibility of evidence getting ruined or destroyed as time goes on. In addition, you only have so long to establish a case after an accident or an injury.
Having the right evidence can make or break your personal injury or auto accident case. If you think you might have a case, contact our team of expert lawyers to see how we can help you get the full and fair compensation that you deserve.