All The Details Of An Accident Are Important
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
When an accident occurs the normal reaction is shock, usually followed by concern for the well being of everyone involved, especially friends and family. However, as difficult as it may be to maintain, one of the most important things that a person can do during any kind of accident, regardless of severity is to maintain calm, and be mindful of all the details surrounding the incident.A calm attitude is important in almost any situation, especially one where emotions can run high and panic can lead to rash, occasionally harmful decisions. But keeping a keen eye on details helps to assess what needs to be done, and, for the sake of any legal proceedings, helps to paint a more complete picture of the events involved in the accident and correctly place responsibility where it belongs.
If an accident occurs where it is clear that you are the victim of someone else’s negligence—and that there may be severe injuries involved—every detail that you can record will be vital in going forward with a personal injury case. The extent of damage to the vehicles, the condition of the road and other environmental factors at the time of the incident can all solidify the resolution of a personal injury case. Everything on the site, including witnesses and the behavior of both parties may be possible evidence that can be useful in court.
You must remember that if you are the wronged party working with a lawyer on a personal injury case, your lawyer will want any and all information or documentation that reinforces your case. In the same way, a defendant—and the defendant’s lawyer and insurance company—will be looking for any details that may implicate you in some of the blame, thus reducing possible compensation, or, barring that outcome, will be working to ensure that incriminating details do not surface during the course of investigation.
For example, if the you were the victim of drivers that were too distracted by shooting video of themselves to pay attention to the road, the fact that the video they were shooting is stamped with the date and time, would make for an easy resolution of the case in your favor. If the defendants at the scene of the accident realize this, they may take steps to delete the incriminating video, and contact friends the video was sent to to do so as well, in an attempt hide their own negligence.
In contrast to this, if a member of your party, was filming events in your car, or if your car had its own camera equipped that recorded driving activity and captured the moment of the accident, conclusively showing that it was the driving of the other party that caused the accident, this would also be critical evidence going forward in a case.
An accident is a stressful, traumatic experience for anyone. But if you have the presence of mind to preserve as many of the details as possible in the heat of the moment, it can make your personal injury case that much stronger.