Your health and safety—and the health and safety of everyone else involved in the crash—should be your first priority after an accident. There will be times when your injuries will be too significant for you to do anything other than wait for an ambulance at the scene of an accident, and that’s okay.
However, some crashes result in less serious injuries and you may be able to collect important evidence at the accident scene that could later help your legal recovery.
Nine Things to Look For
At the moment of impact, you think that all the details of the accident are indelibly etched in your memory. However, memories always fade over time, even under the best circumstances. Thus, it is important to preserve evidence, to the extent that you are able to do so. Some of the things that you should be aware of at the scene of an accident include:
- Information about all of the other drivers. This includes drivers’ license numbers, insurance policy numbers, license plate numbers, and contact information.
- What the other driver was doing at the time of—or shortly after—the accident. In many cases you won’t know what the driver was doing at the time of the crash. However, if you do notice the driver texting before the crash, smelling of alcohol after the crash, or doing something else that could have contributed to the crash, then it is important to take notice and write down what you remember.
- The road conditions. Sometimes road conditions can contribute to accidents. Take pictures of the accident scene so that you have the road conditions documented.
- Road signs. Take a picture of road and safety signs in the vicinity of the crash.
- Damaged vehicles and property. Take photos of the vehicles and any other damaged property that resulted from the crash.
- Whether there were any witnesses to the crash other than the people involved in the collision. You will want to get the names and contact information for these witnesses.
- Skid marks. Take pictures of the skid marks, if you are able to do so, as they may provide important evidence later.
- Debris in the road. Photos of all road debris that might have been caused by the accident or might have been present prior to the crash are important.
- Red light cameras, security cameras, or other cameras that might have recorded the accident. In some cases cameras may record your accident and be valuable evidence as you try to recover. If you notice any at the accident scene, then write down their locations or take a picture of the camera.
Whenever possible, take pictures from different angles and from varying distances. Try to capture both a general impression of the accident scene and particular details (especially of damage inflicted).
For more information about what to do with this evidence and how to protect your rights after a car crash, please read our FREE book, The Ultimate Guide for Automobile Accident Victims, or contact us directly via this website today.
Injured in a Crash? Contact Our Wisconsin Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consult
Were you or a loved one recently injured in a crash due to another person’s negligence? If so, then it is time to contact our car accident lawyer in Wisconsin for a free consultation. Our team has been practicing law in Wisconsin for over 50 years, and have seen every type of accident there is.
To schedule a consult with our experienced Wisconsin car accident lawyer, start an online chat, fill out our convenient contact form or call 1 (800) 800-5678 today!
