After a car accident, most people claim compensation. Compensation is paid to the victims of car accidents so that they can move forward with their lives and live normally, even with life-changing injuries. Unfortunately, a lot of people have no idea how important evidence is.
Without evidence, obtaining compensation is an impossibility. There are many different types and forms of evidence, so if you are interested in gathering it, this post is for you. This article will tell you why evidence is important and explain what you should be looking for.
Hire An Attorney
Until you have an attorney representing you, compensation is out of the question. People’s independent claims rarely go anywhere. If you have been injured by a negligent or dangerous driver, you need to find a lawyer fast. The statute of limitations in most states is around two years, so the sooner you get a lawyer to begin your claim, the better. Finding a professional car accident attorney is not as hard as you might think. A simple internet search will bring up the names of all local firms. Make sure that once you have a list of lawyers in your area that you read reviews and use them to help you decide which one is best. A lawyer’s reviews can tell you a lot about them and will make deciding whether or not to work with them a much simpler decision to make.
Why Is Evidence Important?
In personal injury claims, evidence is absolutely essential. Without it, no claim can be made. If a person tried to make a claim for compensation without evidence, it would be based entirely on their testimony. How can a single person’s account of an accident be believed? People lie to get themselves compensation all of the time. Insurance companies have adjusters working for them. An adjuster’s job is to determine the validity of a claim, and then price it. On a regular basis, insurance adjusters encounter people who are dishonest. In addition to providing evidence, make sure you are truthful. Do not give an inaccurate account of your accident, otherwise if discovered, your claim could be completely thrown out. Once it has been dismissed, you will not be able to make it again, meaning compensation is no longer possible.
Determining Fault
Evidence helps to determine fault. Claims are made to the insurance companies of the individuals identified as being at fault. It is not uncommon for irresponsible drivers to deny involvement in accidents they have caused, however. If you have a video or photo of the responsible party’s car, your injuries, and them, then they have to accept fault. Sometimes after accidents, guilty individuals immediately apologize, because they feel bad. If the person responsible for causing the accident you were involved in does this, make sure that you record them. Getting an admission of guilt on camera makes it very difficult for the person to deny fault later on (or argue about the finer details of a car accident, trying to push the blame onto somebody else). Gathering evidence is, with all of this in mind, something you should make your main priority. The more you get, the stronger your case will be.
What Types of Evidence Should a Person Get?
If you have never been involved in a car accident claim before, the chances are that you will have no idea what types of evidence you should be gathering to support your case. The best type is photo and video evidence, i.e., pictures of your car, the offender’s car, and videos of them admitting fault. If you are able to, statements from witnesses can also come in very handy. On the scene of an accident, make sure that in addition to all of the above, you get the other driver’s contact and insurance information. You will need this to make a claim. To prevent them from giving you false information or running off, make sure that you write their license plate number down, too. You can then give this to the police if the person tries to get away without giving you their information.
Staying Truthful and Honest Throughout
As mentioned above, truth is very important. If you are caught lying in a personal injury claim, chances are that you’ll be arrested and charged with fraud. Insurance companies pursue prosecution aggressively. This is to deter other people from trying to defraud them. In addition to taking you to court and having you charged with fraud, an insurance company will publicly shame you. Your attorney will also drop you as a client. If your claim is dismissed due to dishonesty on your part, you will not be able to make it again. This means that your chances of compensation in the future are nil. When you are giving an account of what happened to you to your attorney, think very carefully and avoid saying anything that could be disproven. Try to back up every single one of your claims with evidence. Evidence makes it impossible for your claims to be dismissed as lies.
Formalizing Your Claim
Finally, once you have gathered evidence, you can formalize your claim. The process of formalizing a claim is very straightforward. All you need to do is get in touch with the lawyer you have picked and ask them to represent you. They will likely ask you to sit down with a paralegal and explain the details of your case to them. Afterward, an attorney will see you if they think that they can help you. Most personal injury attorneys offer their services on no-win-no-fee arrangements, which means that you do not have to pay for their support upfront. Once your case has been won, your lawyer will deduct their fees from the final settlement amount. Sometimes they take a fixed amount and other times they take a percentage. Talk with your lawyer so you can work out a payment plan that you are happy with.
Evidence is essential in personal injury claims. The types mentioned here are the ones you should prioritize gathering. Putting evidence together can be difficult though, which is why a lawyer’s help is important. A lawyer will help you to get as much evidence as possible.
