It’s crucial that New Jersey car accident victims have the best chances of recovering compensatory damages after a collision. To improve those chances, victims should learn how to gather evidence after a New Jersey car accident.
Immediately after a New Jersey car accident, call the police. Officers can complete an accident report that contains vital information regarding your collision. Next, take photos and speak to eyewitnesses. Such evidence can go a long way in supporting your claim against a negligent driver. Be sure to seek immediate medical attention and keep any appointments. Your medical records, and the financial impact such treatment has had on your life, can be important evidence when determining damages in a New Jersey car accident lawsuit. Your attorney can also investigate an accident’s circumstances to gather additional evidence that supports your claim.
Our attorneys are dedicated to helping New Jersey car accident victims recover compensation against negligent drivers. For a free case evaluation with the New Jersey car accident lawyers at Legal Care, call today at (732) 838-9769.
Tips for Gathering Evidence After a New Jersey Car Accident
If you’ve been recently injured in a New Jersey car accident, it’s important to compile evidence that supports your claim. While your attorney can investigate the accident afterward, there are several things you, the victim, can do to gather evidence after your collision. For example, victims should call the police and take photos. Speaking to eyewitnesses and noting your surroundings can also help your attorney gather evidence in the future. It’s important that New Jersey car accident victims immediately go to the hospital and keep careful track of their damages to support their claim against a negligent driver.
Call the Police
Immediately after a car accident in New Jersey, call the police. Victims should do this after any car accident, regardless of how severe it appears. Sometimes, negligent New Jersey drivers will try to dissuade you from calling the police. If that happens, don’t listen. By informing New Jersey law enforcement officials of your accident, you can ensure those police officers create a crash report.
While this accident report isn’t considered evidence in a lawsuit, it will likely contain crucial details that can be invaluable to your Jersey City car accident lawyer. If you can do nothing else after a damaging collision, call the police. Offices can compile evidence and information at the accident scene that can ultimately help you recover damages against a negligent driver.
Take Photos
If your injuries permit you, take photos after a car accident in New Jersey. Victims can use their phones to snap pictures of the damage done to their vehicles in the aftermath of a collision. You can also take photos of your injuries to show you sustained them as a result of a negligent driver’s actions.
Photos of an accident scene can contain important details that may help your claim in the future. If you’re unsure which things to photograph, just take pictures of everything you can think of. Your New Jersey car accident lawyer can analyze any photos you took for relevant details that show a driver’s negligence.
Speak to Eyewitnesses
If any eyewitnesses to your New Jersey accident stop to offer a helping hand, ask for their contact information. Eyewitnesses can be incredibly helpful in proving a negligent driver’s fault in a New Jersey car accident lawsuit. If you’re unable to speak with eyewitnesses yourself, New Jersey police officers can note their contact information in a police report.
While it’s important to be able to contact eyewitnesses to your accident in the future, refrain from discussing the details of your lawsuit with them. Allow your Newark car accident lawyer to handle communications with eyewitnesses regarding your case against a negligent driver.
Note Your Surroundings
After a damaging car accident in New Jersey, it can be difficult to remain calm. However, taking a deep breath and noting your surroundings can be incredibly beneficial to your future claim against a negligent driver. Inform your attorney if you notice security cameras from local businesses or traffic cameras near the accident site.
Your lawyer can request access to security camera footage or traffic camera footage to help prove a driver’s negligence. Accessing such footage, if it exists, can help you recover the compensatory damages you deserve. So, try to look around for any nearby cameras that may have filmed your accident.
Go to the Hospital
After leaving a collision site, New Jersey car accident victims should go straight to a hospital. Once there, medical professionals can assess victims, thus creating evidence of their injuries. This is one of the most significant ways car accident victims can gather evidence after a collision. Getting medical attention is necessary to show the severity of your injuries and their likely cause.
If New Jersey doctors tell you to see a specialist or get certain treatment, but sure to follow their advice. Show up to any appointments you have, too. Your medical records can be extremely important evidence in a lawsuit against a negligent New Jersey driver.
Keep Records
In New Jersey car accident lawsuits, having evidence of damages is crucial. Because of that, victims should keep any records that show the financial or emotional impact a car accident has had on their lives. For example, it’s important to keep track of any medical bills or records of lost wages after an accident. This will help your Elizabeth car accident lawyer better understand the economic damages you should seek in a lawsuit against a negligent driver.
It can also help to keep a journal or seek counseling after a New Jersey car accident. Doing so can create evidence of emotional damages, like pain and suffering. Keeping records is necessary to prove that a negligent driver’s actions caused you real damages in New Jersey.
Call Our New Jersey Attorneys Today if You’ve Been Injured in a Car Accident
If you need assistance gathering evidence after a car accident in New Jersey, our lawyers are here to help. For a free case evaluation with the Paterson car accident lawyers at Legal Care, call today at (732) 838-9769.
