When a car accident happens, it’s normal to feel a strong rush of adrenaline. This rush is a natural survival instinct, but it can also prevent you from thinking clearly. Car accident survivors often feel confused, overwhelmed and panicked. Not surprisingly, in the middle of everything, they forget the importance of preserving evidence.
At Fell Law Firm, our experienced attorneys have handled a full range of car accident cases. This includes cases that hinged on evidence that seemed unimportant at first. Here’s what you should know about preserving the right evidence after a crash.
The More Evidence Collected, the Clearer You Make Your Case
In a car accident case, the evidence helps paint a picture of what happened and who was at fault. The more evidence you collect, the more complete that picture becomes. Relevant evidence may include:
- Photographs: Pictures of the accident scene, damage to your vehicle and injuries (both at the hospital and throughout recovery) can be critical to the success of your case.
- Statements: Witness statements can be a good source of information from a neutral third party.
- Expert testimony: Serious car accident cases often rely on experts to testify about what may have happened or how an injury may affect your life.
- Dashcam videos: These videos can be some of the most powerful evidence because they show what happened in real-time.
- Police reports: Courts are often very deferential to these official accounts of the accident.
- Medical records: Your medical records help paint a picture of just how seriously you were hurt.
- Cell phone records: These records can help catch distracted drivers who were talking or texting behind the wheel.
Get as Much Information as You Can at the Scene
Your attorney can track down most of these types of evidence. However, it helps if you collect as much information as you can at the scene.
If you can, get the names of witnesses who saw what happened. Record exactly where you were and what time of day the accident occurred. Take pictures of the road conditions, road signs, positions of vehicles and the damage to your car.
If you record these things right away and share them with your lawyer, they can build a solid foundation of information for your legal team to work with during your case.
Talk With an Attorney Right Away so They Can Preserve Evidence Before it’s Lost or Destroyed
Once you retain an attorney, they’ll get to work right away. This is because it can become harder to collect evidence over time. For example, witnesses’ memories fade. Sometimes, a witness may move or change phones, and it may become impossible to contact them.
Dashcam videos can be destroyed, and, in trucking accident cases, log books may be lost. Of course, it’s against the law for a party to intentionally destroy evidence. But the more time elapses, the more likely it’ll be that the evidence no longer exists.
To get started on your car accident case, contact the attorneys at The Fell Law Firm in Richardson, Texas. Call us at 972-450-1418 or contact us online.
