As the plaintiff in a Carlsbad personal injury case, you bear the burden of proof of showing the other driver was at fault for your accident and the damages you sustained. Various forms of evidence can help your car accident case in California, including police reports, photographs, videos, witness statements, medical records, expert witness reports, electronic records, and cell phone records. Here is how this evidence can help your case.
Police Reports
A law enforcement officer may have responded to the accident and prepared an official report that may contain useful information, such as:
- The time and location of the crash
- The name and contact information for drivers, passengers, and witnesses
- Statements from the parties involved
- Witness statements
- Road and weather conditions
- Whether the other driver was cited for violating a traffic law
- An initial assessment of the fault
- A diagram and description of the accident scene
The insurance company will usually request a copy of the accident report. Your Carlsbad car wreck attorney can review the accident report, emphasize important details, and use it to support your car accident claim.
Photographs
If possible, you should try to take as many pictures as possible after a car accident, documenting details, such as:
- Vehicle damage from multiple angles
- Nearby cross streets, traffic signs, and traffic signals
- Skid marks or debris on the roadway
- Weather and road conditions
- Your injuries
Videos
Video evidence can help show how the accident happened, the positions of the vehicles, and the extent of the damage. Video evidence may come from:
- Dashcams
- Traffic cameras
- Surveillance footage from nearby businesses or residences
Video evidence can be one of the most valuable forms of evidence.
Witness Statements
Witness testimony can help support a case and provide an objective perspective about how it happened and the moments leading up to it. Witness testimony is often valuable because objective witnesses don’t have anything to gain by providing an inaccurate or skewed account of what they observed.
At the scene of the accident, be sure to ask witnesses for their names and contact information.
Medical Records
Medical records can help connect your injuries to the accident, as well as the financial costs associated with your injuries. Provide the following medical documentation to your personal injury attorney:
- Emergency room records
- Surgery videos
- Diagnostic reports and imaging studies results
- Doctor’s notes
- Treatment plans
- Medical bills
Expert Witness Reports
In some car accident cases, such as those involving multiple at-fault parties or disputed liability, personal injury attorneys may hire accident reconstruction experts to evaluate objective data and create visual representations of how the crash occurred. These reports can provide valuable support for your claim.
Your attorney may also work with other experts, such as medical experts and economic experts. These experts can help explain how the accident has affected your life and estimate future care and economic needs.
Electronic Records
Many modern-day vehicles are equipped with event data recorders that are similar to the black boxes in commercial planes. These machines may record braking times, speed, GPS location, and other critical evidence that can help prove how the crash occurred.
Cell Phone Records
Distracted driving is a common cause of car accidents today. Cell phone records can help show if the at-fault driver was talking on the phone, texting, watching a video, or otherwise using data at the time of the crash.
Contact the Miller & Steele Law Firm for Help Gathering Evidence in Your Car Accident Case
Our Carlsbad distracted driving accident attorneys know how to identify, gather, and preserve valuable evidence to support car accident cases. Contact our local personal injury law firm today to get started with a free case review.