What evidence do I need after a car accident? To build a strong case, you need physical evidence from the accident site, reports from law enforcement, vehicle and accident experts, and medical professionals, and documentation of financial losses and other consequences of the crash. A Charlotte car accident lawyer can help you compile this evidence and build a strong case for compensation.
Accident Scene Photos and Video Footage
If you aren’t too injured to move after the crash, take photos and video of the accident scene. Capture damage to the vehicles and your injuries. Record traffic conditions and signals. Document road conditions. Cover the environment overall. Note locations of traffic or security cameras.
It’s important to act quickly to get traffic cam footage in Charlotte or any other accident location. The same applies to security camera video. These cameras don’t always keep data long-term. You can contact the police department for traffic-camera data. For security footage, you can ask the business or property owner. Of course, a car accident lawyer can handle these requests and acquisitions for you.
Speak with a Charlotte car accident lawyer and get a free consultation today.
Call (980) 294-4931Ask Witnesses for Statements
Eyewitness testimony can serve as valuable evidence after a car accident. At the scene, take down witnesses’ contact details. Ask them to send you a text or email of what they saw happen. This way, you get the information before their memories fade.
Police Reports Provide Critical Car Accident Evidence
Call law enforcement to the scene to make an official report. A police report doesn’t make a definitive determination of fault for the accident. Still, the narrative includes information that helps with that process. It may confirm that a driver was speeding or ran a red light in the moments prior to the crash. If responding officers issued tickets for traffic violations, the report includes that information as well.
Police reports also include information about a driver’s impairment or distraction, if applicable. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show distracted driving caused the deaths of 3,208 victims and left 315,167 injured.
Our team can help you get an accident report in Charlotte or in whatever city your accident happened, and use that evidence to support your claim.
Documentation of Vehicle Damage
The extent of the damage vehicles sustain in an accident is not always immediately apparent. Finding the full story requires careful examination by a mechanic. The type of damage can help reveal details of the collision, providing insight into speed, angle, and force of impact.
Keep all documentation from your mechanic. Your car may require costly repairs. The bills are evidence you need after a car accident to support your demand for compensation. If your car must be totaled, we can help determine its value.
Input from Accident Engineers Provides Expert Evidence
Accident reconstruction experts examine all elements of the incident to provide analysis and insight into its cause. Just as crime scene investigators analyze and synthesize information from a crime scene to determine what happened, accident reconstruction engineers do the same for vehicle crashes. Their expert testimony can serve as extremely valuable evidence.
Keep All Medical Information After a Car Accident
You need to see a medical doctor after a car accident. Injuries can be worse than they initially seem. The shock of an accident sends adrenaline through your system, and that adrenaline can mask pain and other symptoms. For your own safety, have your injuries diagnosed and treated, and comply with all your doctor’s instructions.
Medical documentation is important evidence after a car accident. It prevents the other side from claiming you invented injuries or worsened them by delaying care. Hold on to all your medical bills. We can include the costs in your demand for compensation.
Records of Additional Financial Losses
Along with your vehicle and medical bills, keep track of all other financial losses resulting from the accident. Your injuries may have made it necessary to hire others to help with childcare or other household responsibilities.
Other financial records you need after a car accident are those documenting your lost wages as you missed work to recover. Keep pay stubs, tax documentation, communication, and forms from human resources or your employer.
Evidence of Pain and Suffering You Experienced After the Car Accident
Car accidents cause physical pain. You can experience emotional trauma and even PTSD after a car accident, and you need to know that your pain and suffering warrant compensation.
A personal journal documenting your physical and emotional distress can provide evidence you need after a car accident. Your daily experiences can show how the accident and injuries have affected your quality of life.
How Convincing Evidence Helps You Get the Compensation You Need After a Car Accident
Negligence laws vary from state to state. In North Carolina, holding any percentage of fault for the crash can prevent you from seeking compensation. South Carolina and Georgia are somewhat more victim-friendly, allowing victims less than 50% at fault to pursue damages.
The other side will fight to protect itself by working to put blame on you. An attorney can protect you by challenging the other side’s accusations and helping you build a strong, evidence-based claim against them.
With fast access to your case, our team can gather physical and video evidence before it gets lost or erased. We can track down witnesses before their memories fade.
We will deal with the insurance companies, so you don’t accidentally say anything that could be used against you. An attorney can calculate your losses, put a fair value on your pain and suffering, and demand financial justice.
We Know What Evidence You Need and How to Gather It
The team at Shane Smith Law knows the evidence you need after a car accident, and we know how to get it. Connect with the team for a free case consultation.
As soon as we form a legal partnership, our attorneys can begin investigating your accident and compiling the comprehensive evidence needed to secure a favorable outcome. We won’t leave a single source of evidence unexplored.
