Thousands of personal injury cases happen every single year. And these incidents leave victims in pain, often with devastating injuries, unable to work and provide for their families, whilst wondering what the future may hold.
Personal injury cases can include:
- Car/traffic accidents
- Injuries at work
- Medical negligence
- Birth injuries
- Product liability
- Slip, trip and fall cases
- Wrongful death
- Dog bites
- Drowning cases
Deciding whether or not to get in touch with a personal injury law firm regarding the situation is a huge decision, with many victims put off at the thought of going up against big businesses, their employers or huge corporations. How are they supposed to prove that their injuries were the fault of the other party? Surely, it’s just your word against theirs, right?
Thankfully, gathering and providing evidence of what happened to you is the most effective step you can take to get the result you need. The right kind of evidence can add serious weight to your personal injury claim. Here we’ll look at the different types of evidence that can be used in a personal injury case.
Witness statements
If someone saw what happened to you, then their testimony could be absolutely vital to your claim. Whether they were a pedestrian and witnessed the car accident you were involved in, or they saw you slip on an unmarked wet floor in the supermarket and break your leg. Witnesses mean that your case is much more reliable and believable. This is why obtaining contact information from people who witnessed your accident is crucial.
Photo and video evidence
Photographic evidence is the best way to document the aftermath of an accident. You could photograph the state of the vehicles after your car crash, the position they’re in on the road and the road conditions. Video evidence can also capture the accident in real-time, so if you fell down the stairs in a hotel due to a faulty handrail and it was captured on CCTV, then there is hard evidence that you weren’t to blame. Dashcams, security camera footage and even personal video recordings of witnesses could be enough to get you the result you need.
Documentation of your injuries
After your accident, you should have sought medical attention. Not only does this ensure that you’re on the road to recovery, but it also accurately documents your injuries and the treatment plan that your doctor has prescribed for you. If you’re perusing a medical negligence case, then your medical records will also document what treatment you had and where things potentially began to go wrong.
And finally, other documentations
If you had an injury in the workplace, or in a restaurant or other public venue then you should have reported your accident and received a copy of the accident report that the manager subsequently filed. This is proof that your accident occurred at that venue. If you were in a car accident, then the police should have created a report that details what they think happened. All of these are crucial pieces of evidence you can utilize.