The time immediately following a car accident is going to be stressful and overwhelming—there’s not much you can do to avoid that. You will likely experience a significant adrenaline rush that can make it difficult to focus on all the things you need to remember at the accident site.
After you’ve checked on everyone’s condition, called the police and moved your vehicle to the side of the road, it’s important that you not forget evidence collection. There are certain pieces of evidence at accident sites that can make or break potential injury claims that may follow, so gathering that evidence at the scene while it’s still available is critical.
Here are a few examples of those pieces of evidence.
- The vehicles that were involved in the accident, including license plate numbers, VINs (if possible), and descriptions of the vehicle (make, model, color, etc.)
- The drivers who were involved in the accident, including full name, contact information, their driver’s license information, their insurance information and their car insurance policy number
- A description of the damage done to all involved vehicles
- Details about how the collision happened (write it down while it’s still fresh in your memory)
- Names and contact information of any witnesses, as well as descriptions of what they can tell insurance adjusters
- Information about and photos of the accident scene, conditions and damage to the vehicles
- Descriptions and photos of any injuries sustained
- Information about the officers who responded, including badge numbers and names
- Towing and ambulance information
For more information about the most important evidence to collect after an accident, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL auto accident lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.