What is Considered Essential Evidence in a Car Accident?

Sustaining an injury or property damage in a vehicle accident is a stressful experience. If your incident was caused by the negligent actions of another driver in Colorado, you may be able to recover compensation for your losses through an insurance settlement or through a Denver personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. However, recovering compensation requires gathering certain types of essential evidence needed to prove what happened.

Photographs From the Scene

The aftermath of a vehicle accident can be chaotic. However, if the scene is relatively secure and if individuals do not have to seek emergency medical care, they can use their cell phones or any other type of camera to take pictures of anything that they see. Some of the most important things to take photographs of after a crash occurs include:

• Any injuries they have sustained
• Damage to vehicles
• Placement of the vehicles
• Debris or skid marks around the scene
• Roadway conditions
• Traffic conditions
• Current weather patterns
• Vehicle license plate numbers
• Any traffic control devices around the area

We always encourage individuals to take photographs from varying distances and angles of the same things so that insurance carriers and potential personal injury juries can gain the full context of the overall scene.

Video Surveillance Footage

It may not be possible to get video surveillance footage right after a vehicle accident occurs, but we always encourage individuals to make a note of any cameras that they see in the vicinity on nearby homes or businesses. This can include surveillance cameras, doorbell cams, cameras inside of buildings, and more. Additionally, many individuals install dashcams inside of their vehicles. If you see a dashcam at the scene of a crash, write this in your notes.

It may be necessary to work with a personal injury attorney in Denver who can go to the owners of these cameras and try and obtain the footage. It is important to work on securing video surveillance footage quickly because storage devices often do not save data for more than a few days at a time.

Statements From Drivers and Passengers

Statements from other drivers and passengers at the scene of the crash will play an important role. These individuals can provide information about what happened right before, during, and after the crash occurred. It is important to remember that drivers and passengers are only able to give the story from their particular point of view, so statements from every person involved will have to be examined to determine the “real” story of the crash.

Statements From Eyewitnesses

It is not uncommon for there to be eyewitnesses who were not directly involved in the crash. This can include bystanders near the crash scene as well as drivers and passengers in other vehicles not involved. If these individuals stopped and stayed at the scene, it is important to get their names and contact information as soon as possible. Their information could prove to be valuable for an insurance claim or during a personal injury trial.

Data From Phones or Vehicle Recording Devices

Most modern vehicles have recording devices that provide information in the seconds leading up to a potential incident or crash. Additionally, data from a mobile phone may also be relevant if distracted driving is a suspected cause of the crash.

The Police Report

It will be absolutely crucial to obtain the police report in order to proceed forward with an insurance claim. Even though the police report may not provide an entirely accurate assessment of what happened in the crash, this will be the official documentation provided by law enforcement officials.

If you are in an accident and need legal advice, consult with the Denver car accident lawyers at The O’Sullivan Law Firm.