Preserving Evidence After A Personal Injury Accident

By Author: Stam Bett
Total Articles: 452
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If you've been hurt in an accident, one of the most important things you can do is preserve the evidence of the accident and document your injuries. This should be done as soon as possible to help your Miami personal injury attorney best represent you and obtain a fair settlement for your pain.

Returning to the Scene
As soon as you are able, return to the scene of the accident and try to find any evidence or take pictures of any conditions you think contributed to the accident. Your personal injury attorney in Miami can probably offer some advice about the best way to do this, or send someone to do it on your behalf if you are severely injured.

Many people are shocked to find conditions they were not aware of at the time of the accident, such as a torn-up section of the street that led to a fall or a malfunctioning traffic light that caused a car accident. You may also find witnesses at the scene, or even someone who knows of other injuries sustained there in the past.

Be sure to take pictures of the scene from multiple angles, especially your view of the scene right before the accident. Not only ...
... will taking pictures early on help you keep the scene fresh in your mind, it will also show the insurance company you are well prepared to receive the settlement you deserve for the accident. Don't forget to take the pictures at the same time of day as the accident, and even the same day of the week for car accidents to show the proper traffic.

Preserving Physical Evidence
Your Miami personal injury attorney will also discuss with you the importance of protecting any physical evidence of your case, as who was at fault for the accident may sometimes by proved with this type of evidence. Physical evidence may include damage to your car showing where and how it was hit, or a branch hanging too low and blocking visibility on a street.

Your personal injury attorney in Miami will also use this evidence to show the extent of your injury. If you were hurt in a car accident, the physical damage to your vehicle can show how hard the impact was, while bloody clothing shows the extend of your physical injuries. For anything that can't be physically preserved, be sure to take photographs.

Finding Witnesses
Any witness who saw your accident can be invaluable when it comes to making your case to the insurance company. A witness may describe details of the accident that confirm your beliefs and back up your story, or they may give additional information you were not aware of that shows the other party was at fault. Even witnesses who did not see the actual accident may have seen you injured afterward, and these witnesses can confirm your pain.

The most important thing to remember here is time is everything. If witnesses aren't contacted and this information confirmed quickly, their testimony may be lost forever. Memories fade quickly, and recollections will get so fuzzy they cannot be accurate or useful. In many cases, your personal injury lawyer in Miami will help you by locating witnesses and recording what they have to say.

Documenting Injuries
Finally, make sure your injuries themselves are documented. All injuries should be reported to a medical provider right away and photographs should be taken of any visible bruises, cuts, swelling and casts, splints or other devices.

You need a very early record of these injuries to convince the insurance company you were hurt as you say and to the degree you claim. Your injuries will heal over time and not look as serious only a week or two later, and failing to seek immediate medical attention will make an insurance company believe your injuries are exaggerated or invented.

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