Best Ways to Collect Evidence at the Scene of an Accident

Whether you sustained an injury in a car crash, on another person’s dangerous property, or in a construction accident, you need evidence to prove what happened. Although your lawyer can collect evidence for you, valuable evidence is available at the accident scene.

You should not leave the scene of an accident without securing critical evidence. If your injury is too severe to safely walk around, wait for an ambulance to take you to the hospital. However, if you can preserve the available evidence, you should gather the evidence you can before someone cleans up the scene, and the evidence is lost forever.

Below are the best methods for collecting evidence at the scene of an accident so you can pursue a case against the at-fault party.

Physical Evidence

You should preserve any physical items at the accident scene that you could use as evidence. Bring them to your car or place everything in a bag to transport them back home. You should save them and give each item to your attorney so they can ensure the physical evidence doesn’t get lost or destroyed.

For example, after a car accident, you could take pictures of a broken side view mirror and take the mirror with you when you leave. If you fell down the stairs on someone’s dangerous property, you could hold onto your damaged eyeglasses.

You should preserve all physical evidence as you found it. The damaged items can help show the severity of the accident.

Visual Evidence

Understanding what happened during an accident can help an investigator determine who is at fault. That’s why you should always take pictures at the scene of an accident if someone else caused it.

You could take pictures of your visible injuries, a defective step that caused your fall, or damage to your vehicle after a car crash. The visual evidence you collect should tell a story to the insurance adjuster, judge, or jury and indicate the sequences of events leading up to the incident.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a good camera or training as a photographer. Snapping photos on your phone should be sufficient. Be sure to take pictures of everything around you, even if it seems inconsequential. The more visual evidence you have, the better.

You might also consider taking a video of the accident scene. You could ask for a copy of the footage if there’s a security camera nearby. Your lawyer might have an easier time obtaining the footage while investigating your case.

Written Evidence

Written evidence is also vital following an accident. You can focus on various documentation during your ongoing case but take note of evidence you can find at the scene. For example, you can request a copy of the incident report from the store manager if an unstable shelf falls on top of you.

The details of any accident can show that someone else is responsible for your injury. Even if the information is in an unofficial document, you should keep a copy for your records.

Evidence might include notes you take regarding the incident. While the circumstances are fresh in your mind, jot down everything you remember. Include the names of the people involved, where the accident happened, and factors that contributed to your injury. If you know who was at fault, you can also record their actions prior to the accident. It could help steer the investigator in the right direction while an investigation as to liability is ongoing.

Contact Us

At Portner Bond, PLLC, we understand the responsibility of preserving evidence after an accident. When you’re in pain and shock about what happened, the last thing you want to do is look for evidence to use in a personal injury case. However, you should take the time to gather the evidence you can use to prove fault. If you don’t, the evidence might be gone by the time we can head back to the scene during our investigation.

With over 70 years of combined legal experience, our Beaumont personal injury lawyers know how to build solid cases against negligent individuals and companies. We will create a personalized strategy to meet the unique needs of your case. You can depend on our legal team to fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.

If you sustained an injury in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, carelessness, or inaction, call Portner Bond, PLLC for your free consultation at (409) 838-4444 today.