Evidence Needed in a Car Accident Claim
Whether you are seeking financial compensation with a first-party or third-party car insurance claim after an accident in New Jersey, you will need to accompany your claim with evidence. The evidence you submit with your car insurance claim can make or break your recovery. Knowing what evidence is necessary for a successful outcome could help you win your case.
Evidence Used in Your Claim
Evidence is the legal term for proof of a fact, such as another driver’s liability for your crash or the losses you suffered in a car accident. New Jersey is a no-fault insurance state, meaning you will not need evidence to prove fault and receive compensation from your own insurance provider. You may, however, need to submit evidence of your injuries and losses. If your injuries are serious enough that you wish to file a third-party claim, you will also need to provide evidence of the other driver’s fault.
- Photographs taken at the scene of the car accident can help establish property damage and how the collision might have occurred. If you are physically able, take pictures immediately after your car accident using a camera or cellphone. Take close-up shots of the vehicles as well as pictures of the crash scene from further away.
- Police report. If your accident was serious enough to cause injuries, deaths or at least $500 in property damage, call the police to report the wreck. Get the number of your police report before you leave. The police report will contain important information about the crash, including whether the other driver was breaking a law.
- Medical documentation. Always go to a hospital in New Jersey after a car accident. Immediate medical care is important for your physical health as well as your insurance claim. Request copies of all relevant medical records to submit to the auto insurance company as proof of your injuries.
- Pay stubs. If the car accident forced you to miss time from work, make copies of a few of your most recent pay stubs prior to the crash. Submit these pay stubs with your claim as proof of lost wages from the collision. If you have future lost wages, use your pay stubs, a letter from your doctor and a letter from your employer to establish these losses.
- Proof of out-of-pocket costs. If you wish to recover compensation for any out-of-pocket expenses you had due to the accident, such as vehicle repairs, travel costs, hotel stays and legal fees, submit these receipts along with your car insurance claim.
These are common examples of evidence used in car accident claims in New Jersey. To succeed with a lawsuit against someone else, you will need clear and convincing evidence of his or her fault. For a first-party claim, focus on evidence of your injuries and losses. You can collect a lot of this evidence yourself, or with assistance from a friend, while still at the scene of the car accident. Then, you can enlist the professional help of a car accident lawyer to obtain more complex pieces of evidence, such as expert testimony or eyewitness statements.
How Can an Attorney Help With Evidence Needed?
Do not let the collection of evidence intimidate you during a car accident insurance claim. Hire a Union City car accident attorney to help you with this task. An experienced attorney can return to the scene of your crash, review the police report, interview eyewitnesses, communicate with your doctors, obtain health care records, organize bills and take many other steps to preserve and collect key evidence related to your claim. Your lawyer can then present this evidence to an auto insurance company in a way that will create a strong claim to damages. Contact a lawyer immediately after your car accident for assistance with evidence.