A car crash can be a life-altering event, leaving victims with severe injuries and a difficult path to recovery. If you or a loved one are injured, gathering evidence to support a personal injury claim is essential, and your smartphone is one of the most powerful tools you have. An experienced attorney knows that photos, videos, and voice memos from your phone can significantly impact the outcome of your case.
After a crash, and only when it’s safe to do so, use your phone’s camera to collect as much evidence as possible. If you are too injured, ask a passenger or witness to help. This immediate documentation can be crucial for proving negligence and the extent of your injuries.
What to Photograph and Video – Capture the scene from multiple angles, paying close attention to key details.
- Vehicle Damage: Take close-up photos of the damage to your vehicle and the other vehicle. Don’t forget to photograph the license plates.
- Accident Scene: Get wide shots of the entire scene, including the position of the vehicles, skid marks, traffic signs, and road conditions. If there’s any debris on the road, photograph that as well.
- Surroundings: Document the weather, lighting, and any nearby businesses or landmarks. These details can help your lawyer establish context and may even lead to finding additional surveillance footage.
- Injuries: Take photos of any visible injuries at the scene and continue to document them over time to show their progression.
How to Use Voice Memos – Voice memos can be an invaluable tool for recording key information and preserving your memories of the event.
- Witness Statements: If a witness is willing, record their account of what happened. Be sure to get their full name and contact information.
- Your Recollection: Record your own account of the crash as soon as you can. Describe what happened before, during, and after the incident.
- Conversations: In California, you must have permission to record conversations. If you have consent, you may want to record any discussions you have with the other driver or insurance representatives.
Beyond the Scene: Tracking Your Claim – Your phone can also help you organize important documentation throughout the claims process.
- Medical Records: Keep track of medical appointments, medications, and treatment plans. You can even take photos of receipts for accident-related expenses like medical supplies or transportation costs.
- Daily Logs: Use voice memos or a notes app to log how your injuries impact your daily life, including your pain levels and any new limitations.
- Wage Losses: Keep records of any time you miss from work due to your injuries.
- Backup: Regularly back up all your collected evidence to a cloud storage service to ensure you have a secure copy in case your phone is lost or damaged.
Remember to keep your phone’s date and time settings accurate for proper timestamps. When taking videos, add narration to provide context. Organize all your evidence into a specific folder on your phone and, most importantly, never delete any photos, videos, or voice memos related to the crash, even if you think they’re not relevant.
We represent people injured as a result of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. Insurance companies have paid our clients hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation because we uncover the facts. When insurance companies fail to offer full compensation, we are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 916-714-7672 or visit www.gblegal.com