Preserving Evidence After a Car Accident

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Roanoke, Virginia, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) January 18, 2012 -- After being involved in a traumatic car accident, the last thing on most people’s minds is taking pictures of the accident scene or recording detailed notes about the event. You will most likely be in a state of shock and want nothing more than to go home after an accident. However, if you want to protect your rights and your access to compensation, it is essential for you to preserve evidence at the scene of your car accident.
Taking Photographs

Once you have been examined at the scene by a medical professional, be sure you take photographs of the entire accident scene. Include all vehicle damage, injuries, and any road conditions or environmental factors that might have contributed to the accident. For example, it might be helpful to take pictures of:
• Skid marks
• Road debris
• Bent, covered, or missing road signs
Your goal with these photographs is to help an expert reconstruct the accident if you need to pursue an accident injury claim. Don’t be afraid to focus on specific details and take pictures of the same subject from different angles. Close range photographs of vehicle damage could be valuable in your case.

If you or anyone else in your party sustained an injury in the accident, you will need to also photograph the extent of the injury in order to pursue a personal injury claim. When photographing injuries at close range, consider including a ruler in the picture so the actual size of the injured area is clear. Document your healing process after the accident with photos and copies of medical records to show how it has progressed.
Taking Notes and Keeping Track of Expenses
As soon as you are able to, take the time to sit down and write out detailed notes about your accident. The average car accident case takes around a year to go to court, and up to 22 months to fully resolve. In that amount of time, it is easy for the details of an accident to become hazy or forgotten completely. Be sure to ask for a police report to assist with documentation. If the report does not contain an accident diagram, draw it yourself. Your personal notes should include information about:
• When the accident occurred

• What you were doing at the time of the accident
• Who was involved
• Injuries and/or damages
• The name of the police officer at the scene
• Details about road conditions
In order to pursue compensation in a personal injury claim, you will need to keep track of any additional expenses that you incurred from the car accident, such as hospital bills, prescription bills, and additional food. If your injury has changed your standard of living in any way, make note of this as well. Keeping a daily journal after the accident can help you catalog all of this important information.

Preserving evidence after an accident can be a daunting task, which is why hiring an experienced car accident lawyer is often the single best decision an accident victim can make. An attorney can perform a thorough investigation of your accident, uncovering evidence that many people miss. For people who have been seriously injured after an accident, the assistance of an attorney is essential.
For more information about car accident claims in Virginia, please visit the website of the experienced car accident attorneys at Kalfus & Nachman today.

accident attorney     auto accident lawyers     defective product lawyers     Medical malpractice     nursing home abuse lawyers     Personal Injury Attorneys     Roanoake     virginia