Beaumont Personal Injury Lawyer: Evidence Gathering at the Accident Scene

If you were involved and injured in an accident caused by the negligence of another person, you can file a personal injury claim against them to compensate you for your loss. You will need to prove in court that your injuries were caused by the careless actions of the negligent party. You also need evidence of your injuries and losses to support your claim for damages.

You must gather as much evidence as possible to obtain the compensation you deserve. You should hire a competent Beaumont personal injury lawyer from Brent Coon & Associates to help gather and compile all the evidence to support your case. This article includes a checklist of evidence you should collect after being involved in an accident.

How Should I Collect Evidence at the Accident Scene?

When you file a personal injury case, you are liable to verify that the other party acted negligently. This negligence resulted in your involvement in the accident, due to which you suffered physical and mental damages. If you have been in an accident and want to file a personal injury lawsuit, it is essential to gather the evidence that will support your claim.

Your Beaumont personal injury lawyer can advise you further for your particular case. Even though each claim is distinctive, most personal injury cases require the following typical pieces of evidence.

Police Report

An accident calls for the involvement of the police. If a police officer was contacted at the accident site, it is plausible for them to file a report. This report is crucial for offering a fact-based verdict regarding the cause of the accident.

You can reach out to the enforcement agency that is accountable for creating the report and request a copy of that report. There are also various ways to acquire a copy of a police accident report.

Returning to the Accident Scene

You should return to the accident site to locate any evidence. This evidence includes photographs or any conditions that can identify what may have caused or contributed to the accident. You might find something you were not aware of when the accident occurred. It may help explain what happened and prove the other party was at fault.

Photographs

Taking photographs of anything associated with the accident can be beneficial for specifying the liability of the incident. You can use any kind of gadget, either your cellphone or a camera to take photos or record videos at the accident site.

Any photographs of damaged vehicles, equipment present at the sites, or property damage can prove the negligence of the other party. You can also take photos of the location or road where the accident occurred and the injuries you sustained due to your involvement.

Witness Statements

The spectators, passers-by, or employees of local businesses may have caught sight of the accident. Their statements can be crucial for the success of your case. The witness may provide factual information about how the accident occurred. Sometimes eyewitnesses can see things happening during the accident that you couldn’t notice. It may help in forming a precise picture of what happened.

You should also collect contact information for all the witnesses for future consideration. Make sure to identify as many witnesses as you can. You can ask them to write down or record their statements about the accident as soon after it occurred. Properly documenting the witness statements after an incident can help create a record of their observations to prove your case during the lawsuit.

Physical Evidence

Physical evidence is the best way to discern who was at fault for the accident. Physical evidence includes many different things based on your case. As the name suggests, they are usually something tangible something you can see or touch.

For instance, a dent in a car, a damaged vehicle, skid or gouge imprints on the pavement, or torn clothing worn at the time of the accident might be substantial physical evidence. But, the physical evidence should be confirmed and preserved soon after an accident before it is lost, altered, amended, or even destroyed.

Evidence of Your Injuries

The injuries suffered during the accident can also help establish the degree of damages. Detailed photographs of considerable bruising, burns, and lacerations can signify your pain and suffering. Your Beaumont personal injury lawyer will need these.

It’s best to preserve your medical records, as they are the key to proving the extent of your injuries and determining how much compensation you can demand. Even the type of medical treatment you get is significant. The defendant in your case can request access to your medical records.

Therefore, it’s crucial to see a doctor and follow the treatment recommendations. Your injuries and medical bills are evidence of your financial losses. It is also an indicator for proving your pain and suffering.

Medical Examinations or Appointments

You can also add your medical appointments to the records. You need to have a medical report explaining the history of your post-accident treatment.

There are many personal injury claims where the initial injuries don’t seem to mandate immediate medical attention. If you start feeling pain or experience a degree of discomfort in the days after the accident, visit your doctor for an examination. Your doctor might diagnose both physical and mental conditions related to the accident. You should not assume that physical or mental injuries only emerge immediately after an accident.

In addition to proving you suffered injuries, you need proof to demonstrate your economic injuries, like everything you had to pay because of your injuries. Therefore, you should keep detailed records of your medical expenses, like hospital and rehabilitation bills, associated transportation costs, at-home care, and medical receipts.

Financial Documents

Your financial damages go further than just medical expenses. When injuries suffered in an accident keep you out of work for weeks or months or lead to a permanent disability, making you unable to work in the future, then you suffer lost wages and a decreased earning potential. Your financial documents can help prove the income you never received and now never will due to the accident.

Insurance Documents

If you are striving to acquire compensation from your insurer, a competent Beaumont personal injury attorney can use the documents implying your policy with this company. Your right to acquire compensation from your insurer is based on this insurance contract.

How to Handle the Evidence After Collection?

After collecting the required evidence, any Beaumont personal injury lawyer will advise you that you should keep them in a safe place. In an ideal situation, you can hand them over to your Beaumont personal injury lawyer. They are sure to keep it safe until the right time. If the evidence is modified before being submitted to the court, it can be used against you.

You can also organize everything you’ve collected, so it’s easier to use later. Because there will be a lot of paperwork, organizing your documents is especially significant. Moreover, keep your evidence private and confidential. Don’t post images or statements about your claim on social media websites.

Consult an Expert Beaumont Personal Injury Lawyer

Gathering evidence is often an overwhelming and time-consuming process. You need an expert to preserve and present it afterward. For these reasons, it’s recommended to hire services from Brent Coon & Associates experienced Beaumont personal injury lawyer to guide you about the possibilities of your success and create the prospects of an affirmative and conclusive settlement.

After suffering injuries in an accident caused by negligence, irresponsibility, or deliberate wrongdoing of another person, our attorneys will work with you to gather evidence to prove the other person’s conduct and your claim to recover compensation from them.

It might be difficult for you to gather all the evidence on your own; a professional attorney from Brent Coon & Associates can use their experience and discovery processes during a lawsuit to acquire documentation from entities.

Contact us now for a free consultation!