According to estimates from the car insurance industry, the average American files a car collision claim once every 17.9 years. Statistically speaking, the majority of these will be minor accidents—but that doesn’t make the fallout any less of a headache!
When you’ve been in a crash, you may find yourself fighting with both insurance companies and the other driver. In cases like these, it’s important to keep a cool head and gather the information you’ll need to prove your case.
If you’re preparing to talk to your lawyer about your case, here’s a quick car accident record checklist you’ll need to keep in mind.
Table of Contents
Your Vehicle and Insurance Information
Your attorney will need information about your vehicle itself, like the make and model, as well as a copy of your insurance information. Having a copy of the policy itself can help them understand what kind of compensation you should be entitled to. If you have evidence that you’re up to date on your policy premiums, this can help as well.
In addition, if you’ve gotten any estimates regarding repairs for your vehicles, bring those as well. If not, you can bring information about the cash value of your car from a resource like Kelley Blue Book.
Information Obtained at the Accident Scene
After a car accident, it’s important to gather information about the other party involved. This includes details about their vehicle, their license, and their insurance information. In addition, if you’ve gotten the contact information of any witnesses who saw the accident, you should provide those details to your attorney as well.
Your car accident lawyer will also need to see any photos or videos you took after the collision. This includes photos and videos of your vehicle as well as the other vehicle, the traffic conditions, and any related traffic signs.
You’ll also want to bring the police report. If you don’t have the report itself, you should bring any information the on-scene officer gave you about where to obtain the report online. In addition, if the officer gave you a ticket, you’ll need to give your attorney a copy of that as well.
Medical Records and Bills
If you’ve suffered a car accident injury, you should visit a medical professional as soon as possible. Make sure to show these medical records to your lawyer, as this can show the existence of an injury even if you’ve recovered by the time you need to prove your case.
If you’re planning to get compensation, you’ll also need to bring any medical bills you’ve received from all providers you’ve visited.
Work Records
Have you missed work as a result of your accident? If so, you’ll need to bring in a few work records as well—specifically those related to proof of income and any missed days. This might mean bringing in paycheck stubs or records of direct deposits, as well as a work schedule showing any days you’ve missed.
Get Ready With This Car Accident Record Checklist
If you hope to win your car accident case, it pays to be prepared. Even the best attorney in the world can only help you if you’ve provided the right information—which is why you’ll want to gather your documents ahead of time! With this car accident record checklist in mind, you’ll have no trouble finding all of the information you need to get the compensation you deserve.
Looking for more tips to guide the way when you need it most? We’ve packed our blog posts with tons of helpful insights, so check them out for more info!
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