Get the Maximum Compensation for Your Car Accident
Any auto accident attorney will tell you that thorough documentation can be the key to winning maximum compensation. Like with any kind of court case, a personal injury attorney must provide evidence for their claims, and this is where your actions following the accident come into play.
Thorough documentation is essential for your accident, and as the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Having photos of the damage to your car, the accident scene, and your bodily injuries will greatly help your accident injury attorney in Sherman Oaks with their case.
With any injury claim, whether it’s for a slip and fall or a pedestrian accident, photos are essential to the compensation process.
Why Are Photos so Important to a Car Accident Claim?
The first thing your car accident lawyer will ask is if you took photos. If you didn’t take them right away, take them as soon as possible.
Our car accident lawyer in Sherman Oaks explains why it’s so essential to have photos to document your injury claim.
- Photographs can demonstrate the extent of your vehicle damage
If the other party tries to minimize the extent of the severity of the accident, pictures of the damage to your vehicle can prove them wrong. Seeing the actual damage is going to have a greater impact on the court’s decision.
Even more, a time-stamped photo can help prove your claim that these damages are the result of the said accident and not some other incident. While your insurance company will often take photos of your car, it’s a good idea to take photos of your own because an insurance agent likely won’t get around to taking photographs until days or even weeks after the accident. They may also ask you to send them your own pictures.
- Photographs can be used as evidence to show the extent of your injuries
Not only should you take photos of your property damage, but you should also take photos of your injuries. The guilty party will likely try to say that you are exaggerating the bodily pain you are experiencing, and photos can help dispute that claim.
If you aren’t able to take photos of your injuries right after the crash, the medical report from the first responders and emergency room personnel will also be helpful. You should also take photos documenting the healing process of your injuries.
- Photographs can provide insight as to how your accident occurred
The actions of both parties leading up to the wreck are going to be the real factor that determines compensation.
When you take photos of the accident, try to capture the area around both vehicles, not just the damage to your car. Skid marks, road debris, road conditions, and nearby traffic signs can really help determine who is at fault.
Evidence collected from these photographs can be used to fact-check the other party’s testimony in the event they try to fib about what happened.
- Photographs can help identify witnesses
The aftermath of any car wreck is stressful and chaotic, so don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t gather witness accounts or contact information. The photos you take may capture witnesses and nearby buildings. Witnesses can be identified after the fact, and nearby buildings may have security cameras that show the accident happening.
What to Do After an Accident
As our Sherman Oaks car crash attorney has already mentioned, taking photos is essential after an accident. Since nearly everyone has a smartphone nowadays, any photos you take with your Android or iPhone will automatically be timestamped.
You can never have too many photos! You also aren’t confined to just documenting the accident, as you can also take photos of the responding police officers’ contact information and the other driver’s insurance information.
To recap, you should take pictures of the following:
- The road
- Damage to all vehicles involved
- Physical injuries
- Position of the vehicles
- Weather conditions
- Witnesses and surrounding buildings
- Nearby traffic signals
It’s also important to not admit any fault, as your case for compensation begins the minute the accident occurs. You should always call emergency services, as their documentation will help support your photos.
The day after the accident, you need to contact a Sherman Oaks injury lawyer! They will guide you through the rest of the compensation process so that you get a settlement that covers all of your damages from your car to your medical bills.
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