Properly Documenting Your Car Accident For A Stronger Case In Iowa

In this article, you can discover…

• Why detailed documentation of your car accident matters to your personal injury claim.
• How to properly document witness statements after an accident.
• How proper video evidence can radically change a case and protect your claim.

Why Is Detailed Car Accident Documentation Crucial For Winning A Personal Injury Claim?

When you are involved in an accident, you want to be able to lock down liability and have the documentation to prove that the other party was at fault. The more detailed documentation that you have, the better the chance you’ll be able to do that.

Additionally, keeping detailed documentation concerning the accident can also provide evidence for the medical experts to establish the causation of injuries you suffer as well as the severity of those injuries.

Can Taking Photos At The Scene Of The Accident Strengthen My Claim?

This can depend on the scope of your situation, as different degrees of severity may call for different actions. If you’re not too injured to be taking photos of the scene, you should focus on getting an overview of the involved vehicles and the scene as a whole. If you can, try to get pictures of the associated vehicles before they are moved from their positions in the accident.

When you’re photographing the vehicles, try to document the damage as best as you can. If possible, get close ups of the damaged areas. Do your best to document any injuries you have received and secure any relevant footage from security cameras, emergency vehicles, etc.

Ultimately, more documentation is better, so it’s important to photograph everything you can. This will give us something to work with as we try to recreate the accident and look for additional evidence.

What Key Details About The Other Driver Should I Record?

Be sure to record if the other driver said or did anything during the interaction to indicate guilt. Did they admit fault? Be sure to also note any distracted or unusual behavior leading up to the accident. For example, were they on their cell phone or texting and driving? Were they looking down or away from the road? Did they appear intoxicated or impaired? All of these observations can be helpful in establishing liability and the cause of the accident.

Attorney Gary Kendell is a seasoned lawyer based in Iowa who has helped countless clients just like you navigate the intricacies of personal injury law. Representing injured Iowans since 1996, he is prepared to assist you with settling your car accident claim so that you can return to focusing on what matters.

Still have questions? Ready to get started? Contact Gary Kendell today to schedule an initial consultation.

How Can I Properly Document Witness Statements To Support My Case?

While you won’t be formally collecting witness statements, you may still be able to collect witnesses’ basic information. The appropriate level of documentation depends on how severely you’re injured in the accident. But if you’re able to, collect witness names, addresses, and phone numbers.

Assuming law enforcement is called to the scene, the investigating officers should also obtain witness names and contact information. However, they do not always document information thoroughly, or, in other cases, a witness may walk or drive away before the police arrive. So, if you’re able to obtain witnesses’ names and contact information yourself, that will be immensely helpful, allowing your attorney to track down and interview these people later.

How Can An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Help With Documenting Evidence After A Car Accident?

A personal injury attorney will know exactly what to look for as well as how to find it. When you hire an attorney, either the attorney or their staff can begin documenting evidence immediately. This means that any footage from neighboring businesses or traffic cameras can be collected along with witness statements for later use.

Since memories can change over time, it is important to take action and contact witnesses while they are still willing and able to accurately provide an account. One of the primary benefits of working with an attorney is that we can get these people locked in to provide statements and produce evidence as soon as possible.

When Strong Documentation Makes All The Difference In A Case

I once handled a case where a law enforcement officer happened to be driving with his dash cam on, and the accident happened right in front of him. Therefore, the entire incident was captured.

Another case also involved camera recording, where an accident occurred between a bicycle and a motor vehicle, and the entire incident was captured on the traffic camera in the intersection. Cameras can change everything, since video evidence often clearly shows what happened and takes away much of the guesswork. In every case, strong documentation is definitely valuable.

Still Have Questions? Ready To Get Started?

For more information on car accident documentation in Iowa, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (515) 205-1922 today.