Can Evidence Play a Role In Your West Palm Beach Car Accident Claim?

Most car accidents in West Palm Beach happen swiftly and unexpectedly. None of the parties involved have a 100 percent clear picture of why the accident took place or the factors that are involved. They each may see things from their own perspective, which usually means blaming the other party for the circumstances that led up to the accident.

Law enforcement, insurance companies, and attorneys are typically interested in the facts. For this reason, they must determine what truly led to the accident and who is at fault. To accomplish this, the evidence must be gathered.

Gathering evidence after a West Palm Beach car accident can be a time-consuming and challenging task. However, getting evidence to provide a clear picture of the circumstances and events that led to the accident is always worth the effort.

Year-to-date, there have been more than 10,030 injuries from vehicle crashes in Palm Beach County.

Types of Evidence That Can Be Gathered

Lawyers are interested in videos and pictures of the accident. They will also gather evidence regarding road conditions during an accident and skid marks or other indicators left by the vehicles involved in the accident.

Sometimes, it is the individual involved in the accident who gathers the information. Information can be collected on a smartphone in the form of a photograph or video. It is essential to be careful. Only gather evidence when it is safe to do so.

In the aftermath of an accident, a person can feel overwhelmed. They may forget to document evidence or essential information, such as the insurance information of all of the drivers involved or the contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident.

Gathering Evidence after a West Palm Beach Car Accident

Immediately following a car accident, your number one priority is to seek medical attention for any injuries sustained. Remember, even if you don’t feel pain, the symptoms of your injuries may not show up for hours or days after your accident.

If it is safe to do so in the aftermath of an accident, you can begin to gather evidence in several ways. Using your cell phone’s camera, take photographs of everything at the accident scene. This information can be used by insurance companies and influence the decisions made by a personal injury jury.

Some evidence to gather could include the following.

• Damage to all vehicles involved
• Debris around the scene
• Injuries
• License plate numbers
• Skid marks on the road
• Traffic conditions
• Weather conditions

Additionally, you should get the names and contact information of eyewitnesses at the scene. Eyewitnesses may be able to give insurance carriers statements, or they may be able to testify at a personal injury trial.

Make sure that a police officer comes to the scene. They will be able to conduct a preliminary investigation and file an accident report. If the other individual involved in the accident is reluctant to provide you with their name, contact information, and insurance information, law enforcement officials can help gather that information for you.

After you have gathered the initial evidence, you want to move to the secondary stage of gathering information. You may need the assistance of a West Palm Beach car accident attorney who can use their resources to carry out a more thorough accident investigation.

A West Palm Beach car accident attorney may be able to access surveillance footage from nearby businesses or homes that could have captured the incident. While working with an accident reconstructionist, your attorney might be able to reconstruct what happened at the scene of the accident.

If anybody involved in the accident violated the law, police officers will probably investigate the event. For example, it is common for personal injury lawsuits or insurance claims to run concurrently to an ongoing DUI case or a case of reckless criminal driving. In these cases, criminal charges might be filed. If this is the case, your attorney may work with law enforcement to get the evidence being used in the criminal case if that evidence can prove the at-fault party’s liability. This could include footage of field sobriety tests, police reports, and other evidence.

Getting Proper Records for Your West Palm Beach Car Accident Attorney

It is crucial that you get medical treatment as promptly as possible after your West Palm Beach car accident. Depending on the severity of the accident, you may want to call an ambulance to the scene of the wreck. This will allow you to be evaluated by a medical professional without delay. Emergency workers can help you decide if you need additional medical care.

Even if it is determined that you don’t need emergency care, you should still visit a doctor to be evaluated for further injuries. Your doctor and the medical staff will be able to create records of your injuries, treatments, and any prescriptions you received. Keeping copies of this information will be vital to your case.

Examples of medical records that could be relevant to your car accident include:

• Ambulance call sheets
• Diagnostic testing results
• Hospital records
• IME reports
• Medical reports
• Office visits
• Physical therapy records and notes
• X-rays and MRIs

You may also want to include billing information, doctor’s narrative reports, and correspondence. All of this can be used as evidence in your case.

You will need the receipts for the actual economic losses you suffered due to the accident. This documentation will prove that you lost money because of the accident. This means presenting invoices, medical bills, receipts for car repairs, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Getting the Assistance of Experienced Attorneys

In the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident, it can be challenging to know what your next steps should be. You probably want a way to recover compensation from the responsible party. However, filing an insurance claim and filing a lawsuit may feel overwhelming.

A West Palm Beach car accident attorney at Bodden & Bennett Law Group can help you get on the path to recovery. You can discuss the circumstances of your accident and your injuries with a Bodden & Bennett Law Group attorney during a pressure-free initial consultation. If the firm chooses to take on your case, you will not pay any upfront fees. The firm gets paid once your case is resolved through settlement or judgment against the responsible party.

Being the victim of an automobile accident is terrifying. It can feel like your life is never going to get back to normal. However, you can get the financial compensation you need to get your life back on track and get things moving forward again with the correct legal representation.

Contact the Bodden & Bennett Law Group today for a free case evaluation and hear what we can do for you. (561) 806-5229