- Car Accidents
Carrollton car accident attorneys understand the essential nature of evidence. This is because even the best accident lawyers cannot win a case without reliable evidence. Therefore, attorneys recommend early evidence collection. Furthermore, they prefer if Carrollton accident victims were proactive. This means collecting evidence from the collision scene.
Unfortunately, many crash victims don’t remember evidence collection after an accident. This is because accident survivors are primarily focused on their injuries and safety. It’s also possible that they’re in a terrible mental and emotional state. However, some collision victims remember evidence collection. If you’re amongst this class, it’ll be best to prioritize your safety while gathering evidence.
Why Is Accident Scene Evidence Important?
If you’ve watched many FBI and cop shows, you will notice how law enforcement guards crime scenes. This is because crime scene evidence is often very reliable. The case isn’t different with Carrollton car accidents. Instead, some of the best clues on the accident are at the collision site. For example, suppose there are extended skid marks on the road. It would be clear that speeding contributed to the accident.
Furthermore, accident scene evidence can help identify the accident fault. For instance, the location of vehicle damage can determine responsibility. Some Carrollton car crashes also trigger investigations. If this happens, such investigations will start from the crash site. Therefore, drivers, law enforcement, and other road users should know how to gather accident scene evidence.
Is It Safe to Collect Evidence at the Accident Scene?
Accident scenes are chaotic environments. A dangerous event just occurred that either harmed life or property. Therefore, accident scenes are inherently dangerous. However, crash victims can still safely collect evidence. Suppose you choose to gather accident scene evidence. It’ll be best to take the steps below.
Check for Injuries
Before collecting evidence, you must first confirm that you aren’t severely injured. If you’re injured, it’ll be best to wait for medical assistance. However, if you’re safe, you can check on other accident victims. If any other crash victims sustained a wound, you could help give them first aid. Conversely, you could wait with them until help arrives.
Secure the Environment
After confirming that you can walk around, the next step is to secure the accident site. Essentially, you’re notifying other road users of a collision. This way, you can prevent a distracted driver from crashing into the accident scene. Furthermore, this step will further secure the accident victims until help arrives. So, you can put on a reflective jacket, especially if it’s at night. Then, place those traffic triangles at a safe distance from the crash site.
Proceed to Gather Evidence
Now that the car accident scene is secure, you can now collect the relevant evidence. However, it’ll be best if you don’t touch anything until the authorities arrive. This way, you wouldn’t corrupt the accident scene. It’s noteworthy that there may be criminal investigations in some cases. Therefore, it’ll be best not to tamper with anything. Below is a list of relevant accident scene evidence:
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Photographs and Videos
You shouldn’t touch anything, but you can take pictures. Photographs and videos can give a life feeling of crash sites. Notably, though, you can timestamp your photos and videos. This way, the fault party can’t debate their credibility. In addition, relevant items to photograph include:
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- Skid marks on the road
- Accident vehicles
- Any crowd of onlookers
- Accident scene debris
- Traffic control devices
- Your injuries
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Eyewitness Testimony
Another crucial piece of proof is the collision’s eyewitnesses. These are the likely witnesses if you go to trial. Furthermore, you may need witnesses when dealing with insurance companies. Therefore, it’ll be best to approach the eyewitnesses and collect their contact information. This would include:
- Names
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
On the other hand, you must also take this information from the other driver. Furthermore, you can take the driver’s insurance information. This data is crucial if you need to file an insurance claim.
Accident Scene Evidence Can Help Carrollton Car Accident Lawyers Win Your Case
Have you been in a Carrollton car accident? If you have, then you can recover compensation from the fault driver. First, however, you’ll need the best Carrollton car accident lawyers. Next, these attorneys will need proof to win you the maximum compensation.
At the Law Office of John B. Jackson, our attorneys have sufficient experience handling car accident claims. We’ve also won significant compensations for our clients. Therefore, we’re best suited to win your Carrollton accident claim. If you call us today, we can start working on your trial or negotiation strategy. Once you hand over the accident scene data to our attorneys, you can rest assured of your compensation.
