Legal conclusions to personal injury cases involving collisions are generally based on verified evidence. If you’ve been involved in an accident and you believe you deserve compensation for the injury you sustained, gathering evidence that will justify such compensation must be your top priority. This will help your trusted accident lawyer in New Orleans put up a good fight on your behalf.
Whether or not a piece of evidence is admissible depends on a set of rules. In New Orleans, as in the rest of the country, the most commonly observed set of rules is the Federal Rules of Evidence. To increase admissibility, the evidence has to be protected from tampering. In the excerpt below from an article written for Nolo.com, complainants are given advice on the types of evidence to collect and how to protect these from tampering.
“Protect Physical Evidence
Who was at fault for an accident is sometimes shown by a piece of “physical” evidence — something you can see or touch, as opposed to a description of what happened. Examples include a broken stair that caused a fall, the dent in a car showing where it was hit, or an overhanging branch that blocked visibility on a bike path.
In addition, physical evidence can help prove the extent of an injury: Damage to the car can demonstrate how hard a collision was, for example, and torn or bloodied clothing can show your physical injuries dramatically. Try to preserve any physical evidence exactly as it was at the accident.”
The article mentions the importance of photographs of the accident scene in a collision case. Photos may serve as reliable evidence, which is why cautious motorists make it a practice to always bring a camera with them. Not only can immediate photographs help a competent New Orleans auto accident lawyer strengthen your case, they can also help you prove your insurance claim.
The injuries you sustained are also among the best evidence you can present. However, since injuries might be healed by the time any claims proceeding starts, it’s crucial to have them properly documented by a physician at the soonest time possible. Expert lawyers from recognized firms like Lambert Zainey advise motorists to immediately go to a doctor to have their injuries checked and treated. All these pieces of information can make a strong case, increasing your chances of getting just compensation.
(Source: Personal Injury Accidents: Preserve Evidence, Nolo.com)