If you want to protect your right to be compensated after getting into an accident that wasn’t your fault, it is a good idea to take detailed notes of the events while it is still fresh in your mind. The more details you can include in your recollection of the accident, the more credibility you will have with the courts and other parties. Include everything you heard and saw in those moments no matter how inconsequential it may seem, as this may provide clues to recreating the accident scene.
Write Down the Events As Soon As Possible
Again, it is your responsibility to prove you were not at fault in the accident. You must provide enough information to demonstrate why the other parties caused your property damage and injuries and you should be compensated.
If you speak with experts in memory recall and the legal field, they will tell you the mind will reconstruct the events of the accident each time you have to recall the details of the accident. It is easy for the mind to “misplace” specific details of the accident every time you have to recall the events, so writing down the details as soon as possible gives you the best chance to get a favorable result for your claim.
Events Before and During the Accident
You don’t want to take notes just of the accident itself. It is also important to take notes of your day and the events leading up to the crash. This is important because investigators might try to determine if you had been drinking or had been involved in any other activities that may have compromised your ability to ride safely at the moment of the accident. The more details you can provide about your day, the more credibility you will have with the insurance company and the attorneys investigating your claim.
Some of the notes you want to include in the events of the day include the date, time of day, and weather conditions that day. Include details about traffic signals, road signs, and other details about traveling down the road. Don’t forget to note if you were wearing a seat belt. Make notes about where you were going and what direction the other driver was traveling in. Also, make a note about other passengers who were in the car.
Details about Injuries After an Accident
Take detailed notes about the injuries sustained by you and other passengers in the accident. Injuries are a key part of your personal injury case. Tell a story about the pain and suffering you endured because of the accident.
You will want to include not just information about physical pain and injuries, but you should also note mental distress that has occurred, as well as anxiety and loss of sleep that might be connected to the accident. If you are not sure if physical pain was caused by an accident, you should still include all this information in your notes. It is up to a trained medical professional to determine if your injuries were caused by an accident. Even if you had back pain before the accident, it could still be determined your back pain was partially caused by the accident or made worse by the accident.
First Responders
Make notes about the first responders at the scene. You should never refuse medical treatment at the scene even if your injuries seem minor or non-existent. This provides the documentation you will need to prove your credibility about your injuries.
Conversation & Witness Notes
It’s easy for the stories to change when some time has passed. Make detailed notes of all the conversations that happen at the accident scene. The more details you have about the conversations that took place, the more it may help your case.
Take notes of any conversations you had with third party witnesses after the accident. These witnesses could make a huge difference in the outcome of your case. Make sure to get their statement and contact information.
Financial Losses
How are you being impacted financially by the accident? Write notes about how you missed time from work due to the accident. Include all the doctor’s appointments or physical therapy sessions that impacted your earnings due to lost work time. Don’t forget to include any other details such as overtime, new job prospects, or promotions you could have missed out on because of the negligence of the other driver.
Lifestyle Impacts
How has your lifestyle been impacted by the accident? Did you miss a vacation because you were injured in an automobile accident? Are you missing social events because you can’t walk after a car crash? While some of these things might seem trivial, the reality is that all these missed events can have a major psychological impact on your well-being and peace of mind.
Speak with the Team at Epperly & Follis
We know that legal proceedings after a serious car accident can cause all kinds of hardships for you. You deserve to be compensated fairly when another driver caused your pain and suffering. If you have been involved in an accident caused by a reckless driver, call the lawyers at Epperly & Follis and speak with Craig Follis about your case. He can be reached at 804-648-6480, or you can complete the contact form, and someone will be in touch as soon as possible.