If you’ve ever watched televised court proceedings, you know just how important the right evidence can be. You’ll need to provide strong evidence to the insurance company to receive a fair settlement for your damages.
Below, a Chesterfield personal injury attorney explains:
Who’s at fault for your accident? Was it the other driver, you alone, or perhaps both of you?
In Missouri, you can recover damages even if you’re partly to blame for the crash. The insurance company will lower your settlement by your amount of fault. For instance, if you’re 60% at fault, you could recover 40% of your damages. A good lawyer can use evidence to lower your degree of fault.
Evidence also helps your attorney calculate and prove your damages. Medical bills, witness statements, and notes from your doctor serve as excellent evidence for proving damages.
For the strongest chance of winning your case, Chesterfield personal injury attorneys recommend you start preserving evidence immediately after the accident. Here are a few types of evidence you’ll want to preserve.
If you’re not badly hurt after the accident, use your phone to take pictures of the scene. Take pictures of your injuries, the car that hit you, and your own vehicle.
Look around for anything that might have contributed to the accident. If you spot broken traffic lights, hidden stop signs, large potholes, or debris in the road, snap some pictures.
Keep all physical evidence, such as torn clothes and damaged or destroyed belongings. If you suspect the accident happened because of a vehicle defect, don’t repair your car immediately. Wait until after your case has finished to do so.
See a doctor as soon as possible after the crash, even if you think you’re not hurt. Doing so establishes a record of treatment, which you must provide to the insurance company. If the insurance company sees that you didn’t seek treatment, it might lower your settlement or offer you no money at all.
Digital communications can serve as excellent evidence for injury settlements. Let’s say that you had a car accident, and you find the other driver’s social media feed. On it, they admit fault for the crash. You can take a screenshot of their post to prove they’re responsible for what happened.
This knife cuts both ways, of course. If you say anything about the accident online, the other driver and their Chesterfield personal injury attorney can use your statements against you. Ideally, don’t say a word about the crash online until after your case is over.
It’s a good idea to keep a journal to document your recovery process. Each day, write down your pain levels, how you’re feeling emotionally, and what you were unable to do because of your injuries.
Keeping every piece of evidence intact is tough without a good lawyer’s help. An attorney can walk you through the process of preserving evidence, proving who was at fault for the accident, and negotiating a fair settlement.
Contact The Law Offices of Kevin J. Roach, LLC, if you need guidance on preserving evidence. We’ll help you gather rock-solid evidence and prove liability for your accident.
For a free consultation with a Chesterfield personal injury attorney, call (636) 238-5848.
