A car accident is one of the scariest things you can go through. The control is entirely taken out of your hands, even if you did everything right. Insurance companies are infamous for how little they like paying out what victims deserve, so people have to turn to lawyers to ensure they get their fair share.
They have to be prepared.
Going into a court case without evidence or anything that supports your claims can be setting yourself up for failure. A lawsuit that you don’t win could cost you thousands, and most victims of car accidents are already in the red.
Here’s the information any car accident lawyer will want before they decide to represent you in court.
Any Photo Evidence of the Crash
Although the last thing someone wants to think about during a car crash is taking pictures, it's best to take as many photos as necessary the moment you're safe. Get pictures of the impact, photos of the surroundings if they were messed up, photos of the other car's plates, and photos of the road itself if it has skid marks or signs from the crash. Even if you're sure of what happened, taking these pictures will help back up your claims in court. Any car accident lawyer in St. Louis, MO, will want every photo you took. The secret to winning the case could be in these.
Medical Information
Provide any documents you have that show you sought medical care and what that medical care cost you. This could be anything from reaching out to a chiropractor to seek out therapy for the emotional distress of the accident. Please keep a record of everything you go through and how much they ask you to pay for it.
If you've lost hours at work because of the accident, you can also include this paperwork since it would be part of your case. Lost wages are harder to get reimbursed for, but you deserve to win every penny you lost to that car crash.
Witnesses or Other Victims
Did anyone else see the crash happen? Was anyone else in your vehicle? Although your lawyer will help gather information and witness testimony, it's good to have some information upfront that they can use. This can mean getting witnesses' names or letting your lawyer know that there are witness names and numbers in a police report, if applicable.
Proof Insurance Turned You Down or Offered Too Little
If the other driver was uninsured, you could skip this step because your lawyer will have enough to go off of. If, instead, the other driver had insurance and their insurance didn’t pay you what you were worth: it's time to gather all documentation you have. This might be simple emails and other paperwork that you can print out, but it will prove a point. Your lawyer will use this to come up with a settlement amount of how much they know you're worth: and will fight so that you can win.
