Strengthen Your Personal Injury Case With A Solid Paper Trail
If you have suffered a personal injury and are seeking damages through the court system, there are many steps to take to make sure that your case is a strong one. Working with your personal injury attorney to gather documentation along the way will strengthen your case. Here are five ways to keep a paper trail from the time of your injury up until your hearing or settlement.
1. File a Police Report
If you have been in an accident that occurred maliciously or because of someone else's negligence, be sure to file a police report right away. Accidents that are car-related or stem from physical violence need to be take seriously and have a report on file. This report is something that a judge can turn to when reviewing the history of your case and the severity your injuries.
2. Medical Documentation
Any documentation for initial injuries and ongoing treatment must be documented. Be sure to get copies from every doctor's visit relating to your case as well as other prescription and recovery costs. If you paid for medical treatment or if you lost wages due to injuries, having all of this information in hard copy will make it harder to dispute.
3. Photo Evidence
If you have suffered an injury that is visually noticeable, be sure to get photographic evidence of this right away. If you have visual evidence of your injuries, this is solid documentation that will be hard to refute. Immediate photos can bring to light the severity of an incident and bolster your personal injury case.
4. Witness Accounts
If others were at the scene of your injury, have these witnesses interviewed as soon as possible. Even if witnesses were interviewed by police or insurance agents, you lawyer can provide another account. Your personal injury attorney is on your side and will make sure to ask the right questions of witnesses to keep the focus on your personal injury.
5. Keep a Journal
Having a daily account of your recovery process and suffering along the way can document exactly what you have gone through. If you are on the road to recovery once your case is presented, it can be easy to gloss over the severity of your previous injuries. Having a detailed account of your pain and suffering will provide steady documentation of what you went through on a day-to-day basis.
Compiling hard evidence of your injuries and your ordeal will bolster your case. Make sure that your personal injury lawyer has everything documented and that there aren't any loose ends before trial.