By A car accident claim is a legal demand made by a victim of a car accident seeking compensation for any personal injury sustained as a result. This compensatory claim can also be made with the aim of getting reimbursements for any medical expenses incurred, loss of livelihood, or the loss of a loved one.
However, some accident claims usually go unsettled if the court finds no ground on the claim. For a car accident claim to have a strong foundation, your attorney will have to find solid evidence.
In this article, we will highlight some evidence sources that your car accident attorney can explore in order to get you the compensation you deserve.
Photos and Videos
Photos and videos are some of the most frequently used sources of evidence as they are quite hard to fabricate, especially if they captured raw occurrences of the events.
Therefore, once you are involved in an accident, the first thing you want to do (after ensuring everyone is safe) is to take pictures of the accident scene. A video of the aftermath is extremely crucial especially when there are other parties involved. The person at fault is likely to admit it due to the high adrenaline.
Capturing the whole conversation on video is a very good source of admissible evidence once you file a claim against them. Attempts to make immediate settlements are deemed as proof of admission of fault.
Arming your car accident attorney Detroit with video footage of such evidence can prove to be a formidable tool in their arsenal.
Police Statements and Reports
Once the accident has happened, call the police immediately (not later than 48 hours). The sooner the police can get to the accident scene, the more evidence they can collect.
Police reports are very detailed because since they record all statements of occurrences from every party involved. Additionally, the police have the legal mandate of acquiring footage from any surveillance cameras around the scene of the accident.
If the defendant is at fault, it is likely that all the evidence contained in the police reports will point towards them.
Expert Statements
The court has access to experts in different fields. Normally, these experts have accumulated the technical knowhow and the experience through working in different situations similar to the underlying case.
In matters car accidents, experienced investigators provide statements and references that are very useful in establishing grounds in a case.
Therefore, if your car accident claim is legitimate, the statement from the expert will concur with all the evidence presented before the court. The expert’s statement will add more weight to your claim, increasing the chances of receiving the right monetary compensation.
On-scene Witnesses (Eyewitness) Statements
It is highly unlikely that a car accident will occur in a place where people will not see. As such, first-hand information from the people who actually saw the accident happening is a very credible source of evidence.
Furthermore, the eyewitness’ evidence gains more credibility if they recorded some footages. Witness video evidence is a deal sealer.
However, seeing that most of the witness’s statements will be included in the police reports, the witness will have to take the stand to give the defendant’s legal team a chance to cross-examine and question the credibility of their testimony.
If the witness’s statement is solid, the chances of tipping the scales in your favour increase tenfold.
Medical Reports
Seeking treatment after an accident occurs is highly recommended especially if the injuries are severe. Getting detailed medical reports accounting for the injuries sustained and the amount of monetary resources used while seeking treatment are useful in backing up your settlement claims.
Additionally, medical reports can be used to prove the magnitude of the car accident. A major accident will result in catastrophic personal injuries.
Conclusion
A car accident claim is one of the hardest cases to establish fault, and relying on hearsays and word of mouth only reduces your chances of getting a settlement. Explore the above evidence sources for a stronger case.