After an accident, you will need to file a personal injury claim if you want to receive compensation to help pay for your injuries and other potential damages. However, even though you have a right to file a claim when an accident is caused by someone else’s negligence, there is no guarantee of a specific settlement amount. 

In most cases, how much money you are awarded will depend on the supporting evidence that proves what happened, what damages you suffered, and how much your life was affected by the accident. 

Thus, preserving evidence is crucial after a car accident in Indiana. 

Why Preserving Evidence is Essential After an Indiana Car Accident

If your accident claim is not supported by sufficient evidence, your claim could be denied entirely or you could be awarded less money than you need and deserve. Insurance companies are notorious for looking for ways to deny claims or pay as little as possible. The only way to ensure they pay you the full amount you deserve is to preserve enough evidence to prove what you are owed as compensation for what you have suffered. 

Furthermore, if the amount you receive from insurance is still not enough to cover your damages, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the guilty party. But in this case, you will also need to provide substantial evidence that proves you deserve to be awarded even more money than what you have already received from the insurance claim. 

So, the more evidence you preserve and provide, the more likely you are to get the full and fair settlement you deserve 

The Types of Evidence You Can Collect After a Car Accident

When it comes to evidence for car accident cases, there are three different kinds or categories of evidence you should collect: 

1. Physical Evidence

This includes the physical and more conventional things you can show as proof of what happened, such as:

• The damage done to your car or any other property involved in the accident
• Your injuries 
• Copies of police reports
• Copies of medical records pertaining to your accident-related injuries
• Driving records

2. Digital Evidence

This includes any sort of digital or electronic evidence that can help prove what happened, such as:

• Photos of the accident scene as a whole
• Photos of injuries
• Photos of car damage
• Videos of the accident
• Surveillance footage
• Data from the vehicle’s data recorder
• Photos or other digital evidence of what the weather was like when the accident happened
• Digital communications pertaining to the accident
• Phone records
• Digital accident reconstruction reports and diagrams

3. Verbal Evidence

This includes verbal statements or verbal statements turned into written statements, such as your own statement about what happened or witness statements. 

Witness statements and testimonies can be an excellent source of evidence as people who witnessed what happened from an outside perspective might have seen things you didn’t. They also will likely give their statement without any bias. 

So if the guilty party is trying to lie about what happened, for example, a witness statement backing up what you said can go a long way toward helping you validate your claim. 

Consult With an Indianapolis Car Accident Accident Lawyer 

Evidence is perhaps one of the most important aspects of a car accident case. Without sufficient evidence, it will be hard to prove why you need compensation for damages like medical expenses, lost wages, mental distress, pain & suffering, car repairs, etc. 

The more evidence you can preserve and provide, the better. However, car accident cases can be overwhelming, and it can even be difficult to get your hands on certain kinds of evidence as an ordinary citizen; this is why it’s incredibly helpful to work with a personal injury attorney. 

An attorney can guide you through the case and help you preserve and collect evidence. They can also stand up against insurance companies to make sure they are awarding you the full and fair settlement you deserve.  

At Poynter & Bucheri, we have years of experience helping the people of Indianapolis file their claims and win high-value settlements. We are dedicated to protecting our clients’ rights and ensuring they get full and fair compensation. Don’t hesitate — an experienced Indiana car accident lawyer can assist you right away. Call 1-800-265-9881 for a free case review.