Good Documentation Strengthens Your Personal Injury Claim
After being injured in an accident, you could deal with problems that interfere with your everyday life, such as lost wages, medical bills, anxiety and other issues. To be fairly compensated after the incident, you must understand the intricacies of filing a personal injury claim. Proper documentation can go a long way in strengthening your case and getting you the compensation you deserve and need.
Here are some important things to do:
Find reports of involved authorities
If a law enforcement agency is at the scene of the accident, they almost certainly filed a report. Getting a copy of the incident report is an excellent place to start and build your case. A top lawyer can help you use this information and pursue new leads to gather even more evidence.
Gather all medical data and track expenses
Medical records are one of the key pieces to proving the extent of your injuries, sufferings and financial losses and demonstrate your condition before and after the accident. These reports include all reports from the ER, doctor visits, autopsies, and rehabilitation. The volume of medical documents required can astound you. Whatever treatments and/or therapy you receive following your accident must be included in your documentation.
Besides the medical reports, keep track of all medical expenses leading up to your recovery- from every prescription and treatment received to discharge slips from the hospital and even travel expenses for medical appointments.
Keep a record of photos and video evidence
For your claim, videos and photos of anything connected to the incident are essential. You may have images of your wounds, as well as photos of the scene, the roadways, or another site where your wounds were sustained.
Each image may be crucial to your claim and reveal details that you might have missed amid the commotion that followed your initial injuries. While your injuries heal, you must continue to regularly document their visual condition.
Statements of witnesses and victims
If there were witnesses at the accident scene, getting their contact information and comments as promptly as possible after the accident might support your story of what happened.
Witnesses may have important details, such as the involved parties and the reason why it happened. They could have a better understanding of the relevant facts than the accident participants. It is better to collect this data while the witnesses' memories of the events are still fresh.
A powerful and effective injury lawsuit requires a lot of work, most of which is spent obtaining data prior to it being lost, altered, or destroyed. While you provide all details to your personal injury lawyer, it is important that you keep a copy of all records as well.
The team at Regard Law Group, PLLC understands exactly how overwhelming it is to experience a life-changing accident. Our experienced attorneys are here to help you find justice i.e., holding the wrongdoers accountable and getting you the compensation. Contact our office to schedule an initial consultation or get more information about our services.