No one leaves their home thinking they’ll get into a car accident that day. No one hopes they’ll get into a fender-bender or, even worse, total their car. Regardless, accidents happen. If you happen to need car accident lawyers, the fate of your case won’t just depend on their skill, but the information you’re able to provide them. Your lawyer will need documentation to show to the court to win.
Whether you need compensation or want to prove your innocence, prepare yourself. There are eight documents you should be aware of that could help you in your legal battle.
Witness Statements
After an accident, witnesses often call the police or wait for them to arrive to give a statement. Having multiple eye-witness reports backing up your case will help you win. Your car accident lawyer will be very interested in having statements from witnesses presented in court.
Transcripts or audio from 9-1-1 calls or written statements are also valid in court. The best information to get from a witness is a description of the accident, who seemed to be at fault, and why it might have happened.
Medical Records
If you are suffering from an injury from the accident, it is important to keep all documentation of medical treatment. Start documenting your injuries from the moment you are checked by first responders. You should only stop documenting after all therapy and check-ups conclude you have recovered.
Medical records do not only apply to physical injury but psychological injury as well. Additionally, if you were in need of mental health attention from the accident, you should provide the correct documentation.
This type of documentation will add to the story you are telling about the accident. And, prove the need for compensation. It will also help your lawyer estimate the value of the damages and help you fight for the right amount in a settlement or in court.
Show medical records of your injuries to your car accident lawyer immediately so they can start integrating them into your case. Continue to share these records with them if you are still undergoing medical treatment.
Photo and Video Evidence
Photographic and video evidence are very important in helping prove the positions of the involved vehicles, the damage, and more. This type of evidence could come in the form of your own pictures taken of the damage, pictures taken by witnesses or law enforcement, or even traffic and security cameras in the area.
Proving who did what during the course of an accident can be a major breakthrough for a case. Photos and videos can support witness statements and validate police reports.
Official Reports
Because police reports are public records, you can access these to use them in your case. Police reports are not fully conclusive, but they do help put together the big picture of the accident. Thus, a police report could lead you to other useful documentation. If there were multiple police officers present or different law enforcement agencies in attendance, all of their reports could be useful.
If special divisions of the police conducted accident reconstruction or sent evidence to labs, these reports can be used as well. All results from these tests can become the cornerstone of your legal battle.
Repair Estimates and Invoices
You will most likely be looking to repair your car or at least estimate how much the damages would cost to repair after the accident. It is best to get these estimates in written form. If you have invoices from repairs, you should keep these as well.
Similar to medical records, repair estimates and invoices will help your lawyer estimate the value of your case to you get the right compensation. They can also help corroborate your story about how the accident occurred due to the location and extent of the damage.
Loss of Income Documentation
If you have lost wages due to the inability to go to work, you should bring documentation of this loss. If it applies to you, you should bring your W2 forms that prove the amount you were making before the accident and how much you are making afterward. You can also use pay stubs, direct deposit records, and written notices from your employer.
The best practice is to document any and all expenses that can be attributed to the accident. These expenses include rental cars and even travel expenses from family members that came to take care of you after the accident.
Safety Violations
Cars are pieces of machinery that constantly need to be maintained and checked. It is the responsibility of the owner and the manufacturer to routinely check for any maintenance or safety issues. Furthermore, it is also their responsibility to fix those issues.
It is a routine measure to check into a car’s service history and check for any recalls that could apply to them after an accident. If a car had an existing issue at the time of the accident, this information could help understand what caused the crash.
This information could be key in determining the legitimacy of a car accident case.
Tickets Issued in Relation to Accident
Police officers who witness the accident or arrive on the scene may issue tickets to one or all parties involved. If you have been issued a ticket, it is important to bring this to your lawyer. They will then work to prove that this violation wasn’t a reason for the accident. Moreover, if someone else involved was given a ticket, it could help prove the cause of the crash.
Car Accident Lawyers Will Win Your Case
When you’re prepared to build your case with car accident lawyers, you have a better chance of winning. Actively maintaining documentation of the accident and all of your related expenses will make your lawyer’s job much easier and bring your case to a close much faster.
Contact Car Accident Lawyers today to get started with your case!