The Evidence To Collect After A Car Accident
If you're involved in a car accident that was not your fault, you'll likely be taking legal action against the other driver to recover your damages. Here are some tips for the type of evidence you should gather immediately after the accident.
Photographs
The first thing that you should do is start taking various photographs of the accident site so that you have everything documented before the scene is disrupted. One key thing to capture is the position of the cars after the accident. Seeing where the cars ended up can help tell the story of which driver hit the other. For example, if a car was pushed a very far distance from the road, it can indicate that the other driver was speeding. You'll also want to record the type of damage that each vehicle sustained. The amount of damage can also help tell how fast the cars were going upon impact.
You'll also want to look for skid marks on the ground. This can help give an indication of reaction time. No skid marks could indicate that one driver did not see the other driver at all in the crash. Meanwhile, skid marks can also show how long a driver took to start reacting to another vehicle in their way. This may help prove that a driver was distracted when driving.
Witness Statements
Was anyone at the scene of the accident to see what happened? This could include passengers in your vehicle, or people who walked by at the time and saw it all happen. A witness statement, especially if it was from a neutral party, can help solidify your case if they can help prove that you were not at fault. For example, the witness may have said that they saw a vehicle run through a stop sign or red light.
Injuries
You'll also want to document any injuries that were suffered after the accident. This will not only help with a personal injury lawsuit but help demonstrate that the injury was caused by the accident. You should be documenting any cuts or bruises if you are able to do so since that will very easily tie it to the accident if the photos were taken at the same time.
Now that you have all the evidence you can gather, reach out to a car accident lawyer to help take your case to court, and be compensated for the damage that was caused. Contact a car accident lawyer for more information.