Deciding Which Charges to Pursue

Posted on: 31 May 2018

Being able to show proof of the way the accident happened when you are hurt is of paramount importance. The more evidence you can gather, the more you might be entitled to get compensated. When the insurance company is hesitant to do the right thing and the other driver is alleging that you might have been somewhat at fault for a car wreck, you will need to have plenty of hard evidence on your side. Read on to learn more.

What is evidence?

As this word is derived from the word "evident" you can see that is means something that is obvious and clearly understood. When it comes to personal injury cases evidence can mean almost anything that lends credence to your claims of the way the wreck happened, your injuries, your losses and your pain and suffering. You are entitled to be "made whole" again and be paid for each and every one of those forms of damage.

Evidence in a car wreck

From the moment of your crash and moving forward to the present day there are numerous pieces of evidence available. There are documents, like the police report and medical records, and there is visual evidence, like photographs and other types of recordings. One of the most important types of evidence in a wreck is that presented by witnesses.

Eye-witnesses

If you are fortunate enough to have a completely unbiased bystander willing to speak about what they saw, then you have an eye-witness. To lend credence to their testimony, it is best if they are a stranger to you, but that doesn't mean that your passengers are not also eye-witnesses. The most important thing is to make contact with them and get their testimony about what they saw down on paper or recorded as soon as possible; otherwise, you are taking the chance that they might disappear or forget what they saw.

Expert witnesses

When you must take your case to court you might be relying on the testimony of people who are certified as experts in a particular field. Often, expert witnesses have years of experience in their careers and are able to speak knowledgeably about a given subject. For a car wreck, you might have some of the following expert witnesses:

1. Medical experts who can speak about the effects of the accident on your body and what is to expected in the future when it comes to future needs and regaining full functionality.

2. Bio-mechanical experts who are able to lend their opinion as to how a particular motion or action has affected a person's body.

3. Accident reconstruction experts who can help the court understand exactly how the accident occurred.

Lay witnesses

A lay witness can be considered a person who has personal knowledge of the way the accident has affected your life. These may be relatives, friends, or even co-workers who knew you before the wreck and can comment about the way the wreck has changed the way you live your life. They testify about both the mental and the physical effects caused by the accident and lend evidence to your pain and suffering claims.

Speak to a personal injury attorney at firms like The Outlawyer - Abbott Law Firm for guidance on getting the compensation that you are entitled to get.