In the period immediately after a collision, the last thing on your mind is probably going to be proving that the other party is at fault. In all likelihood, you are going to be contending with a number of other things, such as shock, personal injury, and inspecting any damage to your vehicle. The knowledgeable car accident attorneys at Rutter Mills in Virginia have provided an important list of supporting evidence that is needed when filing a car accident claim. Nonetheless, if you are going to submit a claim in the future, you should be aware that the minutes and hours immediately following the crash are essential to its chances of success.
Evidence for Proving Fault after Car Accident
Insurance companies use a full arsenal of different types of evidence when it comes to protecting the liability of policy-holders in the event of a crash. In order to prevent having to pay out, these companies will conduct detailed investigations consisting of eyewitness testimonies, police reports, medical reports, skid analysis, vehicle damage assessment, CCTV and dashcam footage, as well as any other evidence that can be used in a court of law.
Given the time and money insurance companies invest to avoid liability, in many cases, proving that an accident is the fault of someone else requires countering this evidence with some of your own. So, what can you do in the aftermath of a collision to support your claim?
What to Do in the Aftermath of a Collision?
Providing that you and the passengers of both vehicles have not suffered serious injury, in the minutes after the crash there are a number of measures that you are advised to take to prove the culpability of the other driver and avoid fault yourself:
Photos and Video
The first thing that you should do after a crash is to use your cellphone or a camera to make a record of the damage to your vehicle and the vehicle of the other driver. If this is not done, it is possible for the insurance company to argue that it may have been possible for the damage to have already existed before the crash or that it was done subsequent to the event.
Police Report
No matter how small the crash, if damage has been done to either vehicle, it is essential that you call the authorities and have them write up a full report of the incident. This report will serve as a principal piece of evidence should you later need to present the case in court.
Medical Report
If you are making a claim for personal injury compensation, you will need to prove that the injuries sustained were actually the result of the crash. When you have filed the police report and collected evidence from the scene of the crash, you should go to a medical professional for a full health assessment and ask them to produce a medical report.
When you have collected the evidence above, you should take it to an attorney with experience in litigating road traffic accident cases. By doing this, you will maximize your chances of achieving a favorable settlement.