If you sustained injuries because of someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim and recover damages. However, you will need to gather evidence to prove your claim to receive compensation from the negligent party. Therefore, it is advisable to work with an experienced personal injury attorney from friedmanlevy.com to help you collect and preserve all the necessary evidence in your particular case and prepare a strong personal injury case for you. To build a strong personal injury case, you will need to gather the following pieces of relevant evidence:
Police report
If you sustained injuries in a car accident, you are legally obligated to report the accident to law enforcement officers. The officers who respond to a vehicle accident usually create a police report detailing the facts of the crash. You will need to get a copy of the police report that the responding officers created and filed. The report will enable you to determine liability in the collision.
Accident report
If you sustained injuries in an accident that did not involve vehicles, then you should obtain an accident report, popularly known as an incident report. For example, if you slipped and fell in a retail establishment or on someone else’s property, you can request the property owner to file an accident report and give you a copy of the document. The accident report is very important because it will prove that you were injured on the owner’s property.
Photos and videos
Photos and videos are one of the most important pieces of evidence in a personal injury case, and it is always advisable to record videos and pictures of the crash scene, the severity of your body injuries, the property damage, and any other relevant fact. In addition, if there is surveillance footage of the crash, an attorney can subpoena the surveillance tape and use it as evidence in your case.
Witness statements
You should collect witness statements and their contact information because their testimonies can help you to get a favorable outcome in your case. These witnesses are not directly involved in the accident. Therefore, their statements can be taken more seriously. Plus, they can give a play-by-play of what happened. Which is helpful to understand who was at fault.
Personal Journal
After the accident, you should write in a personal journal the details of your injuries, the incident, and how the accident has changed your life. This written account of the accident can strengthen your case. Also, make sure to keep track of the times so that way you remember when it happened. While it can be tedious a legal professional need to see what exactly happened. That way they can know who to blame.
Medical bills
You should collect all copies of your medical bills and records of any other accident-related costs. These documents will help you to get compensation for your financial losses. They will have all the specific information written out on these reports. This is great because these come from a verified source. Your case will be able to be taken seriously if this is brought to the course.
Proof of lost income
Many personal injury claimants are usually entitled to compensation for lost income among other losses. However, to seek compensation for loss of wages, you should demonstrate proof of lost income by providing a document from your employer showing your pay rate, the days you missed from work due to your injuries, and the total cost of the lost income.
Conclusion
To build a strong personal injury case, you need to gather crucial evidence like copies of all accident-related expenses, witness statements, photos and videos of the accident scene, the incident report, the police report, and a written account of the accident in your journal. Having all this information can help you in the long run. Which is great when you need to receive some sort of compensation. These types of accidents can be avoided if certain people did what they were supposed to do.
