Types of Evidence You Need To Support a Personal Injury Claim

You cannot recover compensation in a personal injury claim unless you can prove another party is liable for your injuries. This requires various types of evidence from the scene of the accident along with other documentation of the effects of your injury.

The Nye Law Group’s trusted Savannah personal injury attorneys have created a list of the types of evidence needed to support a personal injury claim.

We are prepared to conduct a thorough investigation to collect these pieces of evidence to help build your case. Contact our firm to schedule a free legal consultation to find out if we can help you.

EVIDENCE FROM THE SCENE

The moments after suffering a personal injury can be confusing and stressful. Victims are in pain and often unsure of what to do next.

While the main priority is your health and safety, you should also attempt to collect evidence if you are able to do so. This includes:

PICTURES

The scene is likely to be cleaned up or altered once you leave, so it is crucial to take a lot of pictures before that happens. Once the scene is altered, some evidence of the accident could be lost forever.

Depending on the type of accident you are in, you should take the following pictures:

CAR ACCIDENTS

Photograph the vehicles involved, paying special attention to damage to both cars. You should also get pictures of skid marks, debris and other property damage caused by the crash.

SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENTS

Take pictures of the place where you tripped or fell. Make sure to photograph obstacles or other conditions that you believe contributed to your fall.

DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS

Take pictures of the product and the place the injury happened.

DOG ATTACKS

If you were attacked by a dog, try to photograph where the dog was before the attack.

You also need to take pictures of all of your injuries to show their severity. If your injuries caused bleeding that stained your clothes, take pictures of the stains. These types of pictures can be very persuasive to juries.

You should take more pictures of your injuries in the days and weeks following the incident, as it can take time for bruises and swelling to develop.

EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS

Pedestrians, employees, customers, drivers and others at or nearby the scene may have noticed things about your accident that you did not. That is why it is always a good idea to talk to witnesses and ask them what they saw.

You can write down what they say or record a video of it with your smartphone. Get their contact information so you can contact them again in the future if you have more questions or are looking for witnesses to use at trial.

PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF EVENTS

You may forget important details about the accident in the days and weeks that follow. That is why it is always a good idea to jot down your personal account of what happened as soon as possible after the accident. Explain what you saw before, during and afterward.

You can reference this information later when meeting an attorney for a free consultation. It may make it easier to explain to the attorney what occurred.

POLICE/INCIDENT REPORT

After a car accident, police will likely be called to the scene to investigate. The responding officer will file a report about the crash, noting what occurred, his opinions on who was at fault and whether a traffic citation was issued.

In other personal injury situations, an accident report may be filed. For instance, this is likely to occur after a slip and fall or an injury that occurs at a private business or on government property. It’s critical to obtain a copy of this report, as it is an official record of what happened.

DOCUMENTATION OF INJURIES

Request copies of all medical records related to your injury, including:

• Emergency room admitting charts
• Paramedic reports
• Discharge forms from hospital visits
• Results from medical tests (x-rays, blood tests, CT scans)
• Prescriptions
• Notes from visits with doctors
• Physical therapy evaluations

These records provide detailed evidence about all of the injuries you sustained and treatments you are receiving. Notes from hospital visits and appointments with doctors will likely note the cause of the injuries you are suffering from.

If possible, obtain copies of medical records from before your injury. These records help to link your current injuries to the accident. These records can also dispel any notions from insurers or juries that your injuries are a result of a preexisting medical condition.

DOCUMENTATION OF OTHER EFFECTS OF YOUR INJURY

This includes a daily journal of how your injuries are affecting you, physically and emotionally. Writing these things down is one of the best ways to convey all of the issues created by your injuries.

This kind of evidence helps to substantiate pain and suffering, which are often significant in personal injury cases.

You should also ask your employer for a letter documenting all of the time you have missed due to your injury. This includes time missed because you were physically unable to work or because you were receiving treatment. The letter should also note your rate of pay from before the accident.

This is the type of evidence you need to have a chance of obtaining compensation for lost wages.

CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER TODAY

Have you suffered a personal injury that you believe was caused by another person’s careless or negligent actions?

You could be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Compensation can help you manage the effects of your injury, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Our personal injury attorneys offer a free consultation to determine if you have a viable claim. If you do, we are prepared to begin an investigation and work to build a strong case. Our goal is to obtain all of the compensation you deserve.

We will pursue your claim on contingency, which means you do not owe legal fees unless we recover compensation.

Call 855-856-4212 or fill out a Free Case Evaluation form today to set up your free consultation.