The Importance of a Post-Accident Investigation for Your Accident Injury Claim

Depending on the type of accident you were involved in, you might have many questions—or you may be crystal-clear on what happened. Either way, you can expect a post-accident investigation. Before either insurance company pays out, they want a solid idea of what happened and who is to blame. Knowing what to expect and the possible outcomes can help you plan your next steps.

Having a strong personal injury attorney by your side throughout this process can limit your stress. Contact Gardner Law Firm to set up a consultation with our team.

What Happens in a Post-Accident Investigation?

Your injury claim hinges on the results of the post-accident investigation. Whether your claim is for a car crash, workplace injury, slip-and-fall, or another type of accident, proving who is at fault is essential. The post-accident investigation involves collecting information regarding the accident, gathering evidence, analyzing evidence, and using the information and evidence to determine liability.

Preserve Evidence and Prove Liability

One of the primary benefits of a post-accident investigation is proving liability. Until you can show who is at fault for your injuries, you’ll struggle to receive any compensation for them. Several types of evidence begin deteriorating quickly after an accident, which is why it’s so important to start an investigation immediately for a complete picture of what happened. Some of the evidence you may want to preserve includes:

• Photos and video footage: If you do not document the accident scene right away, there’s a good chance you’ll never get that chance again. Err on the side of taking too many photos, rather than too few. You want as many angles and distances as possible to understand what happened. Make sure to back everything up via cloud storage and physical storage.

• Proof of injuries: Not only do you want to prove the severity of your injuries, you want to prove that they are a direct result of the accident. Seek medical care right away to get your injuries documented.

• Eyewitness testimony: The human memory is imperfect, and the longer you wait to get information, the less likely it is to be accurate and complete. You’ll want your attorney to get eyewitnesses’ statements immediately to ensure they are helpful for your case.
• Surveillance footage: Surveillance footage is often deleted after a specific timeframe or when more room is needed for storage. You need copies of the relevant footage before it’s deleted, or it’s likely lost forever.

Collect Eyewitness Accounts

A robust post-accident investigation will gather eyewitness accounts and use them to corroborate various parts of both parties’ stories. Depending on how much information you get from the eyewitnesses, they may contribute in several ways. First, what they observed could prove liability and help you pursue compensation. It may also back up your side of the story and give you more credibility. Their observations could also identify contributing factors to the crash, providing more context. Eyewitness accounts can also protect you if the other party lies about what happened in an attempt to evade liability.

Reconstruct the Accident Scene

Accident reconstruction may not always be necessary in an accident investigation, especially if it’s obvious what happened, or everyone agrees about the sequence of events. However, if the accident is complex, your investigation may include a reconstruction of the accident. This involves the use of a reconstruction expert with a background in this specific type of accident that occurred. 

For example, in a workplace injury, you’d need an expert in the machinery you use and your work. After a car crash, you would consult an expert in vehicle mechanics, physics, and crash data and trends.

Ready to Start Your Claim? Contact Gardner Law Firm Now

The sooner you consult with our team of Mississippi personal injury attorneys, the sooner we can begin working on your accident claim. Let’s set up a time to talk so we can learn more about your accident, look over the evidence, and provide our professional recommendations. Set up your consultation now by calling us or reaching out to us online.