According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for individuals under 30 years old. And while motor vehicle accidents aren’t always deadly, they do often result in catastrophic injuries, such as loss of limbs, brain damage, permanent paralysis, etc. If you or a loved one was in a motor vehicle accident and suffered injuries, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the other driver.
If you do plan to file a lawsuit after your car accident, time is of the essence. Your injury lawyer in Philadelphia and Scranton will help you file a lawsuit and hopefully it will lead to a win. But in order for that case to be successful, you need to act swiftly.
RETAIN CRUCIAL EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT
As soon as the motor vehicle accident occurs, there may be an issue of fault – who’s to blame? In any case, there’s crucial evidence you should be aware of and try to retain:
1. Photographic evidence of the objects and people involved.
- Are there skid marks on the road that help explain whose vehicle did what, and when?
- What do the vehicles look like? Where is the damage? Don’t just look at bumpers or windows, look at tires and side mirrors as well.
- Is there other property damage? Perhaps a street sign has been knocked over or there are tire marks on landscaping.
- What do the people involved look like? Do you have any bleeding or bruising? Is there broken glass in your hair?
2. Contact information.
- Be sure to get the full name, contact information, and insurance information of the other driver.
- Write down contact information for any eye witnesses.
- When the police show up, get their badge numbers and full names.
3. Police reports. Make sure you get a copy
OBTAIN CRUCIAL EVIDENCE AFTER THE ACCIDENT
There’s other evidence that will be critical to a successful car accident case, such as:
- Ambulance and hospital records
- Work records if you had to take days off of work due to your injuries
- Cell phone records which could help establish whether the other driver was distracted while driving
- Event data recorder – some motor vehicles have systems, similar to a “black box” from a plane, that record speed, braking, and steering data
Your injury lawyer will help you obtain many of the above items, but – again – time is of the essence. Some of this evidence may be unavailable or unhelpful if you delay. If you are in a motor vehicle accident, as soon as you are able to, you should call your injury lawyer in Philadelphia and Scranton to make sure you don’t miss out on making your case the most successful it can be.
When should you hire an injury lawyer after a car accident in Philadelphia or Scranton, Pennsylvania? The answer is, “As soon as possible.”
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact the attorneys at VSCP Law, at www.vscplaw.com.
