Being able to submit evidence of a defendant’s fault is crucial when victims require compensation for injuries sustained in a car crash in Palm Beach County.
If you are seeking compensation following a motor vehicle accident in Palm Beach County, begin gathering evidence immediately. You can so this by calling the police, taking pictures, talking to eyewitnesses, and going to the hospital. In the days following a crash, our attorneys will continue gathering evidence on your behalf by obtaining security camera footage, reviewing police reports, and conferring with experts. Without evidence of a victim’s injuries and damages or a defendant’s negligence, victims cannot hope to recover compensation in Palm Beach County.
To set up a free case assessment from our Palm Beach County, FL personal injury attorneys, call The Law Offices of David I. Fuchs, Injury & Accident Lawyer, P.A. at (954) 751-4258.
When to Start Gathering Evidence for Your Car Accident Claim in Palm Beach County, FL
Because Florida is a no-fault state and victims must prove that their injuries are severe enough to warrant a lawsuit, gathering evidence immediately after a car crash in Palm Beach County is crucial. Otherwise, you might find recovery even more challenging.
Begin gathering evidence to support your car accident claim right away. This process begins at the accident scene. Immediately after an accident, call the police. Don’t rely on a negligent driver to do this, even if you are injured. If your injuries permit you, talk to eyewitnesses. Our Palm Beach County, FL car accident attorneys can contact witnesses in the coming days and weeks to see if they can provide statements that support your compensation claim.
Also at the accident scene, take pictures. In order for photographs to support your case and be useful evidence, they should be clear. Blurry or grainy photos will not help your cause as effectively. Take pictures of the damage to your car, your vehicle in relation to a negligent driver’s car, and your injuries. Taking photos of the whole accident scene and the fallout is generally beneficial to victims.
From the accident location, go directly to the hospital. Do not delay getting your injuries assessed. Some injuries, such as internal injuries or whiplash, may not be immediately known to a victim. Going to the hospital will help establish that your injuries were caused by an accident involving a negligent driver in Palm Beach County.
How to Continuously Gather Evidence for Your Car Accident Case in Palm Beach County, FL
Once you leave the accident scene, the process of gathering evidence does not end. Our attorneys will continue building a case with additional evidence uncovered after an accident in Palm Beach County.
While going to the hospital right after an accident is important, it is not the only time you should seek medical attention. In fact, you should continue to receive the proper medical care for as long as necessary following your collision. In doing this, you will build medical evidence in support of your case. Gaps in a victim’s medical treatment might negatively impact their ability to demonstrate that they meet Florida’s serious injury threshold for auto accident claims.
Additionally, our lawyers will investigate your accident to uncover further evidence of a driver’s fault. Depending on the case, that might include photos or videos taken by eyewitnesses, footage from security cameras, and statements from expert witnesses. It is important to start building your case immediately after an accident so that certain evidence remains readily available.
Can You Use a Police Report as Evidence to Support Your Car Accident Claim in Palm Beach County, FL?
Calling the police is mandatory following any auto accident that results in bodily injury in Palm Beach County. But does that mean you can obtain a police report and use it as evidence to support your claim?
Police reports are not admissible evidence in car accident lawsuits in Palm Beach County. That said, victims should not underestimate the importance of calling law enforcement after an accident. In addition to being required by law, alerting police officers to a crash site can greatly benefit victims. Police officers can gather information pertinent to your case, such as the negligent driver’s name and insurance information, so that you can focus on getting the proper medical care. Officers will also include their own impressions from an accident in a police report, as well as the names and contact information of eyewitnesses.
Our lawyers can then refer to that police report when building your case. Despite not being admissible as evidence, a police report can provide greater insight into the events of an accident and lead our attorneys to other evidence that can prove a driver’s negligence.
Why is Gathering Evidence After a Car Accident in Palm Beach County, FL Important?
Without evidence, there is nothing to prove that another driver acted negligently, causing your injuries in an auto accident in Palm Beach County.
Car accident victims in Florida face two hurdles when seeking compensation through a lawsuit. First, they must establish that they have sustained injuries that meet the state’s serious injury threshold, which is defined in Fla. Stat. § 627.737(2). Injuries that permit victims to sue include significant and permanent disfigurement or scarring, significant and permanent loss of a crucial bodily function, permanent injury, and death. Your medical records from immediately after an accident and from the coming days, weeks, and months will help you to establish that you meet the serious injury threshold.
Then, victims must prove fault. To do this, you have to prove that the defendant owed you a duty of care, the defendant breached the duty of care, the breach of duty of care caused your injuries, and you suffered real damages. All of this requires evidence, including proof of your economic and non-economic damages.
Call Our Palm Beach County, FL Lawyers to Discuss Your Car Accident
Call (954) 751-4258 to get a free case review from the West Palm Beach County, FL car accident attorneys at The Law Offices of David I. Fuchs, Injury & Accident Lawyer, P.A. today.
