A negligent driver can strike at any moment when you are on the road. When you are involved in an accident, it is important to start your claim with our lawyers as soon as possible.
Your claim essentially begins the moment the accident happens since you can gather evidence on the scene. Take photos of your damaged vehicle and your injuries, as well as any other important details, and our attorneys can use them as evidence in your case. You should also report the crash so other details will be preserved, like eyewitness information. You will also need medical evidence to prove the damages the other driver caused, so do not overlook getting medical treatment following the accident.
Get a free and private case review with our Charleston, SC car accident attorneys today by calling Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (803) 219-4906.
Types of Evidence Our Lawyers Can Use to Prove Your Car Accident Case in Hanahan, SC
Most car accident victims know they need evidence to recover compensation in a claim but might not know what is sufficient. Various forms of evidence are often used to piece together how the other driver was negligent and what damages they caused. Accident reports can provide good overviews of the crash and aftermath, while photos and videos can be used to preserve evidence that will likely be gone before a trial. Eyewitnesses and expert witnesses can also be used to back up your testimony and other evidence.
Accident Reports
A common place for our attorneys to start when assessing a car accident case is with the police report. In fact, any person involved in a crash involving an injury, fatality, or $1,000 or more of property damage has a legal duty under S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1270 to report it to law enforcement within 15 days. We strongly recommend reporting the crash immediately so that valuable information is recorded in the police’s crash report.
Police reports should contain critical details like the driver’s name, insurance information, and the address where we can serve your lawsuit. They will also typically include what the investigating officer saw at the accident site, like debris on the ground, your injuries, and the other driver’s behavior. While the police report is generally inadmissible as evidence in a trial since it is considered hearsay, it can be used in insurance claims and used to find other sources of evidence, like eyewitnesses.
Photos and Videos
Although your police report might contain some photos, they will likely not be as good or thorough as the photos you could take yourself. Assuming you are not too injured, take photos of the scene, including the wreckage, any tire marks, the position of the vehicles, and your injuries. Obviously, a vehicle from a collision cannot be brought into court to display the damage, nor can the debris left on the scene. Your photos are the best way to preserve this evidence to use later, allowing you to replace or repair your vehicle without fear of losing it.
Be sure to photograph or record the scene itself. This will allow you to remember how the streets and lanes were arranged, the time of day, and the weather when the crash occurred. They can also be used to show where lights and traffic signs were that the other driver ignored. These details can easily be forgotten by the time a case gets moving, but photos will help keep your memory fresh.
Considering how many surveillance cameras are in use, it is also a good idea to check around for any that might have captured your crash. Our team can investigate businesses and homes near the crash site to determine if the camera owners have video footage we can use in your case. However, footage like this does not tend to last long, so do not wait too long to get your claim started.
Medical Records
Medical records and bills are often the primary source of evidence for your damages. Records from the emergency department and others who provided you with care will help link the expenses and other damages to the collision for which you are now seeking compensation. If you wait even a few days to get treatment for a car accident, it could jeopardize your entire claim.
Insurance companies will be sure to look into an accident victim’s history to determine if they have been injured before. If the plaintiff has a prior similar injury or condition, they will attempt to use that to lower the victim’s compensation. The longer you wait to get medical care, the easier it is to confuse what actually caused your current damages.
You can still claim compensation with prior injuries when those injuries are made worse by the current accident. The key is to have the evidence to prove that the current car accident caused the increasing damage, in addition to your other losses.
Witness Testimony
Witness testimony can make all the difference since many car accidents come down to one driver’s word against another’s. An eyewitness can offer a different perspective and explain what the other driver did to hit, like running through a red light or seeing that you had the green. This will also add credibility to your statements since it is more than you providing the same version of the accident. If you can, get witnesses’ contact information while you are still on the scene, but do not get into too much detail about the accident.
Waiting to get this information later could mean losing this evidence. If you did not have a chance to speak with witnesses, our team can review the police report to see if that information is included.
Our team can also arrange for expert witnesses to testify in complex cases. A medical expert can explain how serious injuries will cause long-term pain and suffering, while an accident reconstruction expert can explain how the crash occurred.
Call Our Hanahan, SC Car Accident Lawyers for Help
Contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (803) 219-4906 for a free case review from our car accident attorneys.