Evidence can be a critical part of every personal injury case. Just about every injury event presents a limited window of opportunity for collecting important types of evidence. As long as you have not sustained debilitating injuries, there is no better time to gather evidence for your personal injury claim than at the scene - that is when the evidence is fresh, and most accessible. Once that window closes, evidence to support your personal injury claim becomes more difficult to come by. As Boston car accident attorneys, the lawyers at Siskind Law recommend you take the following steps at the scene of your accident.
a. Take Photographs at the Scene After a Personal Injury Accident
Do your best to take photos with your cell phone at the time of the incident. Car accidents, slip & falls, work accidents, and dog bite attacks all present opportunities to preserve photographic evidence at the time of the injury.
Photos at the scene of personal injury accidents should include:
Photograph your injuries as close to the time of the personal injury accident as possible. These images can be very graphic and persuasive to an insurance adjuster or jury during your personal injury case. Also photograph your injuries several hours and days after the incident, and as your treatment progresses. It can take time for bruises and swelling to develop.
b. Write Down Witness Information and Statements
Witness statements can be powerful evidence during personal injury cases. Independent, third-party witnesses have no personal or financial interest in your accident claim. For that reason, their statements are taken seriously by an insurance claims adjuster. The adjuster knows that if the claim ends up in court, an independent witness' testimony for a victim can work against the insurance company.
Witnesses can also provide evidence you may have overlooked at the time of the injury. For example, a witness might say she overheard the at-fault driver say he didn't see you, or was texting right before the accident. Information like this, provided by independent witnesses, can be quite influential in your claim.
After a slip & fall injury in a store, employees will often hurry to clean up the spill. A witness may be able to confirm the substance was actually there. Another may say she previously reported the spill to management, but they ignored her. One of them may also be able to confirm he/she saw you in severe pain right after the injury.
You must gather witnesses' information quickly, before they leave the scene. If you don't have detailed contact information, they will be much harder to track down for help in your personal injury case. And if you wait too long, their memories of the incident may fade.
c. Return to the Scene of the Personal Injury Accident
As soon as possible after the accident, return to the scene. You might be surprised to see something you may not have seen originally. With auto accidents, there might be some broken car parts, skid marks, or other evidence that contributed to the accident, but was overlooked at the time of the collision.
Take some additional photographs - you can never have too many photos in a personal injury case. The first few days immediately following an accident is often when you uncover evidence you may have missed at the actual time of the injury.
d. Provide the evidence to Siskind Law
Once we receive the gathered evidence via CD, memory stick, written format, or email, we immediately upload it into our electronic client database to ensure that it is safe and secure for future use in your personal injury case.
Contact Siskind Law if you have any questions about the importance evidence plays in your personal injury case.
a. Take Photographs at the Scene After a Personal Injury Accident
Do your best to take photos with your cell phone at the time of the incident. Car accidents, slip & falls, work accidents, and dog bite attacks all present opportunities to preserve photographic evidence at the time of the injury.
Photos at the scene of personal injury accidents should include:
- Abrasions, lacerations, or contusions to your body
- Damaged clothes, especially if bloodied and torn
- The incident scene and surrounding area
- What caused your injury
Photograph your injuries as close to the time of the personal injury accident as possible. These images can be very graphic and persuasive to an insurance adjuster or jury during your personal injury case. Also photograph your injuries several hours and days after the incident, and as your treatment progresses. It can take time for bruises and swelling to develop.
- Traffic Accidents: Taking photos is critical after a car accident. Photographs of the scene are very strong evidence in personal injury cases, regardless of whether it's a car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle collision.
- Slip & Fall Injuries: Visual evidence is also important in slip & fall cases. Photograph the substance or hazardous condition which contributed to your fall, and take wider shots of the area around it. Also ask management to complete an incident report, and request a copy for your records.
- Defective Product Injuries: Photos of a defective product are very important in personal injury cases. Try not to move or change the product's appearance at all. If you still have it, save the packaging. Also keep the purchase receipt, warranty and instruction manuals. If you were burned by a product, keep the clothing you were wearing at the time, especially if a piece of it was burned.
b. Write Down Witness Information and Statements
Witness statements can be powerful evidence during personal injury cases. Independent, third-party witnesses have no personal or financial interest in your accident claim. For that reason, their statements are taken seriously by an insurance claims adjuster. The adjuster knows that if the claim ends up in court, an independent witness' testimony for a victim can work against the insurance company.
Witnesses can also provide evidence you may have overlooked at the time of the injury. For example, a witness might say she overheard the at-fault driver say he didn't see you, or was texting right before the accident. Information like this, provided by independent witnesses, can be quite influential in your claim.
After a slip & fall injury in a store, employees will often hurry to clean up the spill. A witness may be able to confirm the substance was actually there. Another may say she previously reported the spill to management, but they ignored her. One of them may also be able to confirm he/she saw you in severe pain right after the injury.
You must gather witnesses' information quickly, before they leave the scene. If you don't have detailed contact information, they will be much harder to track down for help in your personal injury case. And if you wait too long, their memories of the incident may fade.
c. Return to the Scene of the Personal Injury Accident
As soon as possible after the accident, return to the scene. You might be surprised to see something you may not have seen originally. With auto accidents, there might be some broken car parts, skid marks, or other evidence that contributed to the accident, but was overlooked at the time of the collision.
Take some additional photographs - you can never have too many photos in a personal injury case. The first few days immediately following an accident is often when you uncover evidence you may have missed at the actual time of the injury.
d. Provide the evidence to Siskind Law
Once we receive the gathered evidence via CD, memory stick, written format, or email, we immediately upload it into our electronic client database to ensure that it is safe and secure for future use in your personal injury case.
Contact Siskind Law if you have any questions about the importance evidence plays in your personal injury case.