What if I Did Not Get Pictures at the Scene of an Accident?

There are various forms of proof that can demonstrate your claim for compensation after a car accident. The experienced Riverside car accident attorneys at Heiting & Irwin can investigate your motor vehicle crash and help compile the case that you may need to qualify for a settlement check.

It is not easy to be your own investigator at the scene of a car accident. When you have been physically injured, you are likely not able to take the pictures that you may need to prove negligence (or even to think straight; you may be confused, in shock). A car accident attorney can come in and take pictures in the days after the accident and help you fill in gaps in your case, but you need to call them immediately.  The sooner photos are taken, the better.  Photos at the scene of the accident can be extremely helpful.

When you need prompt legal help, reach out to the personal injury law firm of Heiting & Irwin. Our attorneys are standing by and ready to speak with you during a free initial consultation. 

You May Not Be Able to Do Anything at the Scene of a Car Accident

Many experts try to give you advice about what to do after you have been injured in any type of accident. Some of this advice misses the mark because it overlooks the fact that you are dealing with serious injuries. For example, experts might tell you to take as many pictures as possible and document the scene. However, you may not be able to do any investigation on your own at the time of the accident because you are receiving medical treatment! Nonetheless, we can still prove fault and be in a position to receive substantial financial compensation for you.

If you are/were unable to take pictures, it is vital that you hire an experienced car accident lawyer in the days after the accident.  Once you retain an attorney, they will use their full investigative powers to compile the evidence that you need to prove your case. However, you cannot wait too long to get legal.  Available evidence can disappear in a hurry, and it may be lost to you forever. Do not delay!

How Your Personal Injury Attorney Can Document Your Case

Your personal injury attorney will obtain and review any accident report filed by police. This report may contain names and contact information for potential witnesses who saw what happened. It may also include the officer’s initial conclusions about what they saw when they showed up at the scene of the accident. One of the first things that your car accident lawyer will do is contact witnesses and learn about what they saw. Witnesses, if not contacted quickly, may not be reachable and their recollections not still fresh.

Your car accident lawyer may also visit and inspect the scene of the accident in the days afterward, in part to take pictures. Even though the accident scene may have been cleared, there may still be valuable evidence that can be helpful to your case. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, there may still be debris and skid marks at the scene.  This may be vital to any “reconstruction” of the accident by experts.

Even if your attorney is not able to gather extensive evidence from the scene, you still have chances to compile the evidence that you need. There may be proof that is in the hands of the responsible party that you can obtain in the lawsuit process. When you file a case in court, there is a phase of the case known as discovery where you are able to request evidence that the other party has in their possession. (For instance, if you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, one thing that your attorney would request is security camera footage that could show the area in which you fell right before the accident happened).

You will probably face challenges in gathering evidence if you begin your case too late. Personal injury lawyers may not be as effective if they are hired months after the accident. By that point, there may be little evidence remaining that is available to prove fault. If you are not able to call a personal injury attorney yourself right after your accident, have a loved one make the call for you. It is vital that your attorney gets to work immediately on the case, even if you do not intend to file a claim for some time.

Contact a Riverside Personal Injury Attorney Today

When you need a personal injury law firm to represent you in a legal case, contact the attorneys at Heiting & Irwin. The first step is to schedule an initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer, and you can do that by messaging us online or by calling us today at 951-682-6400.