Tips on Gathering Evidence for Your Personal Injury Case

Tips on Gathering Evidence for Your Personal Injury Case

If you’ve been injured by someone else’s negligence, such as in a traffic accident, your claim will hinge on the available evidence. While this can mean a lot of things, traffic camera footage and police reports often play a primary role, but obtaining the information you need can be a challenge in and of itself. If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured, reach out for the seasoned legal guidance of an experienced Chicago area personal injury attorney today.

Potential Evidence Sources

The evidence used for personal injury claims can come from many basic sources, including:

• Eyewitness testimony
• The personal testimony of the involved parties
• Photos and videos taken of and after the accident
• Dashcam footage – for traffic accidents
• Traffic cam footage – for traffic accidents
• Residential and business camera footage
• Police reports

Obtaining Footage

The best way to obtain the footage you need to support your personal injury claim is to turn to your personal injury attorney’s experience and insight in this arena. The approach you take will depend upon the type of footage you’re attempting to obtain. Consider the following:

• For traffic cameras, the involved municipality controls the footage, and you’ll need to follow their procedures. 
• For police dash camera footage, you’ll need to go through the controlling police agency.
• If the footage belongs to a private citizen or business, you’ll need to request it from them.

In their focused effort to obtain the footage you need, your personal injury attorney will write what is called a spoliation letter, which requires the controlling party to save and preserve the relevant footage. If a subpoena is required, additional legal steps will be involved. 

The Police Report

Nearly every car accident – and many other kinds of accidents – initiates a police report, and these reports are often integral to personal injury claims. Police reports include the responding officer’s initial thoughts on the matter, but this does not necessarily mean that it’s the final word on what happened. Even if the officer’s opinion about the accident in question doesn’t coincide with your position on the accident, you’re going to need to address the information contained in the report. 

This makes your copy of the police report a critical piece of evidence for insurance claims. If the accident in question is a traffic crash in the City of Chicago proper, the police report can be obtained online for a $6 fee, and they’re generally available two or three days after the accident. 

Discuss Your Claim with an Experienced Chicago Area Personal Injury Attorney Today

The formidable personal injury attorneys at SAM LAW OFFICE LLC proudly serve the greater Chicago area, and we are well prepared to harness our imposing experience and skill in focused pursuit of the evidence necessary to obtain your claim’s best possible resolution. Our practiced legal team is on your side and here to help you, so please don’t wait to contact us for more information about what we can do for you today.