Establishing a personal injury case is very important, especially if you got injured by someone else. But naturally, no one will just take your word for it. That’s why, in order to establish a case, you really need a good amount of evidence, and that is very important to understand. But the question is, what kind of evidence would you need here, and will it be enough? Here you have a list with everything that you need to know, so keep that in mind.
Police reports
A police report is crucial because it shows the time, date and location of the accident, who was involved, weather and road conditions, traffic violations, statements from witnesses and drivers, and any observations. Insurance companies rely on these reports when they start an investigation. Requesting a copy of the police report is always a very good idea.
Photos and videos
Of course, showcasing exactly what happened with videos and photos will help even more than expected. That’s the reason why you always want to have some photos or videos of the accident, especially if those show the vehicle damage, skid marks, road conditions, traffic signs, wet floors, defective equipment, visible injuries, broken sidewalks and so on. Videos are also crucial here, because they might even show how the accident took place. So yes, the more evidence like this you can bring, the better it will be.
Witness statements
You also want to showcase what the witnesses are saying, as they will help confirm how the accident took place, if there was any unsafe behavior, if there were visibility conditions or any unsafe behavior, and anything of that nature. The more you know about this kind of stuff, the better it will be in the end, and that’s exactly the thing that you need to take into consideration, where possible.
Medical records
Naturally, you have to add any medical records that you can access as well. Those will show what injuries you had, what treatment you received, the recovery progress, long term prognosis and a lot of other important things. Knowing as much as possible about this will help immensely, and it will help better streamline the process in the long term.
Medical bills and expenses
You need to show how much your treatment cost, so you can get reimbursed. The most important thing is to show the hospital invoices, physical therapy costs, specialist visits, future treatment estimates, medical equipment purchases, and anything of that nature.
Employment records
Some accident victims will lose income as they recover. So if you want to get compensated, the personal injury lawyer will tell you to showcase tax returns, pay stubs, payroll reports, disability documentation and so on. Evidence of lost wages is indeed crucial, and it’s totally something that you need to remember, so just use that to your own advantage.
Property damage documentation
If there was any type of property damage, you do want to document it properly. That means you want to include any vehicle repair estimates, bike damage, cell phone replacement, eyeglasses, clothing, electronics and so on. Any type of property damage that can be show and which is linked to the situation at hand, that will help a whole lot more.
Surveillance footage
Not every time you have access to surveillance footage, but if you do, that will help a whole lot more than you might expect. The idea is to showcase any of the accident using such a camera, if possible. Even if it’s not always the case, sometimes you might have a security camera surveillance footage from gas stations, traffic cameras, office complexes and so on. Getting that might be extremely useful for your specific case, and that’s exactly why you want to take it all into consideration.
Cell phone records
You can also request these if you want to show that the driver was distracted, and that alone can be great proof, so it’s definitely worth considering all of that. Additionally, even stuff like accident reconstruction experts or an expert medical testimony can be really good evidence. The more you are prepared for these things, the better it will be, so that’s exactly the thing that you need to focus on. And yes, it can very much be a major difference in the end, if you are approaching this wisely.
Conclusion
It comes as highly recommended to work with a good personal injury attorney in Chicago if possible, as he can help you collect evidence, but also handle the case and so on. The most important thing is to understand the process, approach it with a true focus on evidence at first, and continually deliver great value. The return on investment can be exceptional, since you can get the compensation you are looking for.