After being in a car accident, motorcycle accident, or any other type of accident, you may be curious to know what type of evidence will help you build a strong case against the individual who is responsible. This is great thinking, as you want to ensure that you have everything ready and in order when reaching out to an attorney about your case.
One of the first and most valuable pieces of evidence that your Knoxville personal injury attorney will need to see is photos. While you may think that photos are easy to obtain, there are specific types of photos that your lawyer will need to support your story and to convince insurance companies, judges, or the jury members that your car accident occurred and that it is the defendant’s fault. Here are seven different kinds of photos you should take of your accident:
- Photographs of your vehicle
Whether you were driving a car, a motorcycle, or a pickup truck, you should take as many photographs as you can of your vehicle. The goal is to show the vehicle’s damage from various angles. Make sure that you show the outside damage as well as the inside damage of the vehicle. Sometimes, individuals are unable to take photos of their vehicle directly at the accident scene due to the vehicle being towed quickly, it being on a very busy or dangerous road, or because they need to be transported to a hospital immediately. If this is the case for you, you can go take photos of your vehicle later on at a towing facility or auto mechanic shop.
- Photographs of the other individual’s vehicle
Do not forget to take some photographs of the other individual’s vehicle. You may not be able to take photos of the inside of their vehicle, but you may be able to hurry and capture a few photographs of the outside. Any photographs that you are able to snap of the defendant’s vehicle may help your attorney show how the accident occurred and where their vehicle hit your vehicle. Taking a picture of the license plate is also recommended as this shows who the vehicle belongs to.
- Photographs of any debris or destruction on the roadway
Depending on how severe the accident was, there may be debris, glass, or even vehicle parts on the roadway. If you are able to safely take photos of the debris or destruction caused by the accident, it is a great idea to do so. These photographs will show how serious the accident was and the type of damage it caused.
- Photographs of skid marks
Although many people do not think skid marks are significant, they actually can tell a lot about your accident. For example, they can tell if the driver slammed on brakes, if they were driving over the speed limit, or if they tried to swerve. It is recommended that you take photos of any skid marks that you see near your crash scene. While you may need to go to the emergency room right away after the accident, it is important that you make your way back to the accident scene to take these photos as quickly as possible. The reason for this is because skid marks often fade over time, new skid marks may make them hard to see, or road maintenance crews may paint over them.
- Photographs of street signs, traffic lights, nearby businesses, parking lots, or intersections
Your attorney will need to show where exactly the accident took place. Therefore, it is suggested that you take photographs of street signs, traffic lights, nearby businesses, parking lots, intersections, or anything else that stands out about the area. If the defendant ran a stop sign or red light, it is crucial that you take photos of the traffic signs or lights to help prove this.
- Photographs of the weather
When bad weather occurs, there tends to be more vehicle accidents. You should take photos showing the weather at the time of your accident if possible. For example, if it was raining when your accident occurred, you will need to take photos of the wet roads, puddles, and downpours. If your accident happens on a snowy day, you will need to take photos of snow on the ground, cars, trees, or any other surface. You will also want to show if it was dark or daylight when your accident occurred.
- Photographs of your injuries
No matter what type of accident you are involved in, it is advisable to take photos of your bodily injuries. These are some of the most important pieces of evidence that you can give your Knoxville personal injury lawyer. They will use these photographs to show how the accident injured you, how severe your injuries are, and what type of recovery you are going through. Scars, cuts, bruises, bleeding, disfigurement, casts, crutches, wheelchairs, and anything else you can take photos of when it comes to showing the details of your injuries will be very beneficial to your case. A family member or friend may need to assist you with these pictures.
At Banks & Jones, our personal injury attorneys know and understand the type of convincing evidence you need to secure compensation. Pictures are very important, but there are several other types of evidence that can help you as well. Therefore, the sooner you can get in touch with our team, the sooner we will start discussing your case, investigating, and determining what kinds of evidence will be most beneficial to getting you the justice you deserve. Call our office or submit our contact form to schedule a free consultation in Knoxville. We Fight 2 Win.
T. Scott knows the importance of interacting with colleagues to stay abreast of developments and changes in the legal world. T. Scott frequently teaches CLE courses on trial strategy, teaching other lawyers his methods for success in the courtroom, and is certified as a Rule 31 Mediator in the Tennessee Supreme Court. He is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the National Trial Lawyers, and both the Tennessee and American Associations for Justice.
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