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The Evidence Needed To File a Successful Personal Injury Claim in PA
Are you considering making a personal injury claim following a car accident, a slip-and-fall accident, or another type of accident? Before you do, make sure you know which evidence you’ll need to collect to give yourself the greatest chance to win your case.
Hiring a lawyer with experience handling personal injury cases is an effective way to ensure you have all the right evidence to bolster your case. However, you should also learn about the necessary information to make a personal injury claim.
Here is the evidence you should gather when filing a personal injury claim in Pennsylvania.
Police Report
If you were involved in, say, a slip-and-fall accident at a grocery store, you might not have a police report for your personal injury claim. But if you were in a car accident, securing a copy of a police report should be the first order of business when it’s time to collect evidence for your case.
It has never been easier to acquire an auto accident report. Simply find out which police department responded to your accident and visit their website to request a copy of the police report detailing your incident.
Medical Records
If you’re making a personal injury claim, there’s a good chance you’re doing it to try to collect compensation to pay medical bills and other accident-related costs. For this reason, when you seek medical treatment in the immediate aftermath of your accident you should keep any medical records you receive.
Additionally, keep a record of your medical bills and bring them with you when you meet with a personal injury lawyer. It’ll help prove your injuries and assist in your claim against the at-fault party to cover these costs.
Smartphone Photographs and Videos
Unless you’re seriously injured after an accident, snap smartphone photographs and videos of your accident scene. They could ultimately provide proof that someone else was to blame for your accident injuries and any property damage you may have.
Once upon a time, phones could not take photos and videos and therefore accident scene evidence was “lost” in the aftermath of a crash. Now that you have the opportunity to do this take full advantage of it by capturing photos and videos from as many angles as you can.
Witness Statements
Did anyone witness your accident take place? Ask them for their contact information before leaving an accident scene. They can usually provide a statement, either to the police, a personal injury attorney, or even an insurance adjuster, that can strengthen your case.
Better yet, track down more than one witness if you can. If multiple people share the same story about what happened during your accident, it could improve your chances of having a successful personal injury claim.
Personal Log
From the moment you first sustain injuries in an accident right up until the day you settle a personal injury case, keep a log of what’s happening with your life. Begin by writing down what occurred during your accident, how you were injured and what treatment you have had for your injuries over time.
If nothing else, your log can help you keep tabs on your recovery process. It can also prevent you from forgetting what occurred during your accident, which could help if your personal injury case isn’t resolved quickly.
Need Help Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Pennsylvania? Call Our Law Firm Today
From car accident cases to wrongful death lawsuits, the law offices of Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. can assist you with filing a personal injury claim. Reach out to us at 570-230-6420 or contact us online today.
