Essential Evidence in Car Accident Cases

Whether you were in a major or minor car accident, your ability to collect evidence could change the outcome of your insurance claim. Insurance companies request certain records and documents to prove that its policyholder caused your accident and you suffered related losses. Gathering essential evidence after your car accident could strengthen your claim and improve your odds of making the at-fault driver pay for your medical bills and property damages.

Types of Evidence Needed in a Car Accident Claim

Your car accident case will only be as strong as the evidence that supports it. Collecting the right types of evidence as soon as you can after a motor vehicle accident in Texas could lead to a stronger claim to damages against a negligent driver. A personal injury lawyer in San Antonio can help you identify what evidence is needed.

Photographs

Photographs of the scene of the crash can help experts such as crash reconstructionists piece together how the collision occurred and why. It is important to take photographs of both damaged vehicles, plus wide-angle shots of the scene of the accident. Taking your own photographs with the date feature on can allow you to protect key evidence such as a stop sign hidden by an overgrown bush. You should also take photos of your injuries on the day of the accident and as they heal for the record. Photographs and video footage can provide hard evidence that the other side will be unable to refute during an injury claim.

Police Report

Texas law requires all drivers to call the police from the scenes of car accidents that cause personal injuries, deaths or more than $1,000 in property damages. Calling 911 is more than just a legal requirement, however. Reporting your crash to the police from the scene can bring an officer there to help you record critical details, such as the name of the other driver and his or her license plate numbers.

A police report is an important piece of evidence during an auto insurance claim. The insurance company will ask for your police report number at the beginning of the claims process. If you did not call the police, the insurance company may call your reliability into question. Calling the police gives you an official record that the accident happened the way you say it did.

Medical Records

Most insurance companies will not agree to pay for your medical bills unless you can prove that you have an injury and that this injury came from the car accident. The evidence needed to prove this is your medical records. After you receive care for your car accident injuries, request copies of your relevant medical reports, test results, x-rays and treatment plans from the hospital or doctor’s office. Collect copies of your medical bills as well. Submit your medical records to the insurance company as part of your Proof of Loss form.

Witness Statements

Witnesses can be essential for providing proof of how an accident happened. Eyewitnesses can give first-hand accounts of who crashed into whom, for example, as well as how the crash occurred. Expert witnesses can also be essential during a complicated car accident claim. An expert witness will have a specialist’s knowledge of how your car accident must have happened, as well as which driver is to blame. Collecting statements from eyewitnesses and hiring experts during the car insurance claims process could help you recover fair compensation for your losses.

Legal Help With Evidence Collection

You are not the only person who can collect evidence after your car accident in Texas. If you call the police, the responding officer can also help you learn about the crash and gather information. The insurance company will have its own investigators searching for more information. You also have the right to hire a San Antonio car accident attorney to help you preserve and collect essential evidence. A lawyer will have the resources and personnel to revisit your crash scene, collect essential evidence, hire experts, and prove your case before judge and jury. Speak to a lawyer right away after a crash for help with evidence collection.