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Auto Accident Record Checklist to Have When Meeting Your Lawyer

VWB Blog 2 years ago 9

Every year in America, there are around 6 million road accidents, and this leaves about 2 million citizens with permanent injuries.

Car accidents are an unfortunate inevitability of life on the road. Whereas many are minor, far too many are life-changing. Getting back to health and confidence after you’ve been in a car accident isn’t always easy.

Luckily, there are entire law firms dedicated to getting you the compensation you deserve after an accident. If you’re looking for an auto accident record checklist, you’ve come to the right place. Being prepared when meeting with your lawyer will be invaluable for your case.

Read on for your checklist to show a lawyer.

Essential Documentation

When you’re meeting with a lawyer, there are three pieces of information that are critical to your case – a police report, medical records, and insurance information. Your lawyer will probably ask you to prepare these in advance of the meeting.

Police Report

The police report is one of the most useful pieces of evidence your lawyer will have to fight your case. The police report should contain everyone’s details, injuries, sobriety status, and any auto damages.

If you didn’t get a police report, let your lawyer know before going to meet them – some lawyers will only take your case if you called the emergency services at the scene of the accident.

Medical Records

Next, you’ll want to get your medical records from your doctor. This should include your previous medical history as well as your most recent treatment after your accident.

When you see a doctor make sure they document all your symptoms so that they’re present in your records. Your lawyer can use any information from your records to prove that you’ve been disadvantaged due to your accident.

Insurance Information

Finally, make sure you’ve got all your insurance information collated – you should provide your policy and details of any previous claims. Your lawyer will be able to read the legalese and calculate the best way to handle your compensation claim.

If you’ve omitted any personal information when buying car insurance, make your lawyer aware of this to ensure you don’t get nasty surprises later on.

Additional Documentation

Now, once you’ve collected those three essential pieces of evidence, it’s time to go above and beyond. The more information you can give your lawyer, the higher your chances of having a successful claim.

The more evidence you can produce, the better. Even if you think it’s irrelevant, your lawyer may be able to use it – and if they can’t, there’s no harm done.

Proof of Income and Expenses

One of the more important things to collect following an auto accident injury is a log of your financial situation.

Keep receipts for any appointments and medications that you need and any arrangements for alternative transport. Furthermore, collect your proof of earnings and how many days of work you missed due to injury.

Bear in mind that if you show medical records, this often won’t include the prices of additional expenses you’ve incurred.

Crime Scene Evidence

Your police report will be beneficial to your lawyer. But, if you’ve collected any extra information, it’ll be invaluable. If you have any statements from witnesses, photos, videos of the scene, and sobriety records, you should turn them over immediately.

Try to log everything and collect every shred of data about what happened.

Daily Diary

Next, you should keep a daily diary of everything that’s happened since the accident. Each day, write down the key points of what you’ve done that day and if it’s been impacted by your accident.

Your lawyer will be hoping to prove that you’ve suffered since your accident – having access to a daily diary of events will help them determine where your grievances are.

Driving History

You should collate any information about your driving history. Whether it’s exemplary or less than ideal, your lawyer will want to see it.

Consider the following points:

  • Have you made an insurance claim before?
  • Have you ever had an accident before?
  • Have you received points on your license?
  • Have you ever been disqualified from driving?
  • Have you ever had a DUI?

All of this information will help your lawyer build a picture of you being a responsible driver (or prepare a defense if you aren’t). Commercial vehicle accident lawyers will be particularly interested in your driving history if it’s been your profession.

Vehicle Condition

Next, go through your car documents and gather all the information you can about the specs of your car. If the accident looks like it was your fault, this will help your lawyer determine whether you should have kept the car in better condition.

They’ll want to know the following:

  • Have any parts been recalled?
  • How regularly do you get the car serviced?
  • What condition were your tires in?
  • Were any elements on the vehicle not functional?
  • Did you experience a car malfunction that caused the accident?

If your lawyer can prove that the car didn’t keep you safe when you’d done everything possible to maintain its condition, they may be able to claim against the manufacturer.

Your Ultimate Auto Accident Record Checklist

So that’s your auto accident record checklist to start preparing for your lawyer. The more you can collate before meeting with your lawyer, the less time you’ll have to pay them for. So, time to get ahead; start collecting all the information you can!

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