What Evidence Can Help Your Car Accident Case in Atlanta?
A handful of no-fault insurance states require car accident victims to file claims with their own insurer, regardless of who caused the accident, which can lead to higher insurance premiums. In Georgia, it matters who is at fault for a car accident. Georgia’s fault-based insurance laws allow an accident victim seeking compensation for damages like property damage, medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering to file a claim against the at-fault party.
A successful car accident lawsuit in Atlanta, GA requires compelling evidence of the at-fault party’s liability and your car accident damages.
Evidence From the Scene of a Georgia Car Accident
Depending on the severity of the crash, you could be incapacitated and unable to take any purposeful action at the scene of the accident; however, if you or an uninjured companion can use a cell phone, you can begin protecting yourself physically and financially by doing the following:
- First, apply emergency first aid and call 911 to report the accident and request help from emergency services
- Then, use the phone’s camera to quickly snap photos of the damaged vehicles before they are moved from their resting positions by emergency services
- Photograph the accident scene, capturing anything relevant, such as traffic signs and skid marks
- Photograph any visible signs of injury
- Add the other driver’s contact information
- Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident
Go directly to a hospital from the accident scene. This not only ensures that you receive critical care, but also provides the evidence you need to show that the injuries occurred in the car accident.
Gathering Evidence for Your Georgia Car Accident Case
Insurance companies may try to deny or undervalue your claim. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33), an accident victim who contributed to the cause of the accident can still recover a portion of their compensation as long as they are less than 50% at fault, but the insurance company deducts their percentage of fault from the payout on their claim. Unfortunately, this incentivizes the insurer to assign undue fault to an injury victim with a large claim. Gathering the following evidence can strengthen your case:
- The police report of the accident
- Any photos or videos of the accident scene
- Eyewitness phone numbers
- A detailed medical report showing your car accident injuries, the doctor’s treatment recommendations, and your prognosis
- Medical bills and receipts for related expenses
- Employer statements of lost wages and evidence of your standard pay, such as direct deposit slips and tax forms
- A detailed pain journal showing your daily pain levels, your medical appointments, and the impacts on all aspects of your life
By gathering the above evidence, you can help strengthen your claim for the full value of your damages and seek the full value of the policy limits.
Eyewitness and Expert Testimony In a Georgia Car Accident Case
Eyewitnesses not only help prove how the accident occurred and which driver was at fault, but family members can also become key eyewitnesses to the personal and economic impacts of the car accident on the injury victim’s life.
In addition to eyewitness testimony, a Georgia car accident lawyer often uses expert witness testimony from accident reconstruction and medical experts to prove fault and show the full economic and non-economic impacts of the accident on your life.
How Can a Georgia Car Accident Attorney Help My Case?
Gathering evidence is an important first step in a successful car accident case, but the most successful cases are built through skilled legal representation. Unfortunately, insurance companies are not on your side, even if they sound compassionate on the phone. They use common tactics to protect the company’s profits at your expense. Contact the Georgia car accident lawyers at Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC to file an injury claim in Atlanta, GA. Get legal representation from our team to maximize your chances of a favorable outcome, and then direct all interactions with the insurance company to your lawyer.