Fortunately, evidence to support your car accident claim might be found almost anywhere and look like anything, depending on your situation. Unfortunately, evidence can be fickle, and finding it is often easier said than done.
You can find evidence of your car accident in various places, including the crash scene, witnesses, the hospital where you were treated, and many other places. We can even use the police report as evidence under specific circumstances. If the police report is inadmissible, we can still use it to find other evidence that can be admitted into evidence. One key aspect of evidence is that it must be admissible to support your claims. Admissible evidence must adhere to strict evidentiary rules, including rules regarding relevancy and reliability.
Finding evidence to support your car accident claims depends on your unique situation. Evidence might be readily available or somewhat scarce. Our Illinois personal injury attorneys can help you track down the needed evidence. Call us at the Rhatigan Law Offices for a free review of the case. Call (312) 578-8502 to get help.
Where to Find Evidence to Support Your Illinois Car Accident Claim
Some car accident cases are chock full of useful evidence, and plaintiffs do not have to look far to find what they need. Other cases have far more difficulty with evidence. Our Illinois car accident attorneys can help you begin your search for evidence by looking in places where evidence is more frequently found.
The Accident Scene
An abundance of evidence might be located at the crash scene, and we must act quickly to save this evidence. Car accident scenes are a hazard on the road, and the police tend to clear them away as soon as possible, sometimes within only a few hours.
One way you can save evidence from the accident scene is by recording photos and videos of the area. If you can, take photos and record videos of the damaged cars, the people at the scene, license plates, traffic signs, and the surrounding area. All these details might seem random at the time, but their importance might be revealed later after our Chicago car accident lawyers begin a lawsuit.
Physical evidence is sometimes too large or impossible to transport to a courtroom, making photos and videos very useful. For example, tire marks cannot be lifted from the pavement and brought to court. However, photos of the tire marks might be used to show that the defendant was speeding before the accident and had to slam on their brakes, leaving tire marks on the road.
Witnesses
Witnesses are a crucial component of the judicial system, and many accident cases have been built on powerful witness testimony. Our Streamwood, IL car accident attorneys can help you find witnesses and determine if their testimony can be used to support your claims.
Some people are eyewitnesses who saw the accident happen. They can testify about what they saw, often shedding light on the nature and cause of the accident. For example, an eyewitness might testify that they saw a blue car stop at a red light moments before a white truck hit them from behind in a rear-end collision.
Other witnesses might not have seen the crash, but they still might have firsthand knowledge pertaining to the accident. For example, suppose the defendant was drunk when they hit you. A witness from the bar where the defendant was drinking before the accident can testify that they saw the defendant drunkenly stumble to their car.
The Hospital
Evidence might also come from the hospital where you received treatment for your injuries. The doctor in charge of your care should keep thorough records of your injuries and treatment. These records can be used as evidence to establish the extent of your injuries and treatment costs.
In cases where medical records are particularly complex, such as when injuries are severe and treatment is extensive, we might use your doctor as an expert witness. As an expert, your doctor can testify about the nature of your injuries and what was needed to treat them. In addition, experts may often offer opinions based on their skills and experience about how they believed your injuries occurred.
Other Places
Evidence may come from almost anywhere and look like anything. The nature of your crash can help us determine where to look for evidence. For example, if we believe your brakes were faulty, we can get evidence from a mechanic who worked on your brakes or evidence about a recall of faulty brakes.
If the defendant hit you in a fit of road rage, we might get evidence from people they know about the defendant’s history of anger issues and road rage. Alternatively, we might use footage from nearby security or traffic cameras to show how the defendant was driving aggressively and erratically.
In some cases, we might be able to use the police report about your crash as evidence if the police officer in charge of the report witnesses the accident. If not, the report might be inadmissible as hearsay evidence. Even so, the police report contains valuable details we can use to find other evidence. Talk to our Illinois car accident attorneys about where to begin looking for evidence to support your claims.
What Kind of Evidence is Admissible in Illinois Car Accident Cases
To best support your case, you need compelling and admissible evidence, and our Rockford, IL car accident attorneys can help you. The Rules of Evidence in Illinois is a lengthy body of rules that dictate how and when evidence may be admitted in court. Even powerful evidence that is relevant to your case might be inadmissible.
For example, one of the biggest rules of evidence is the rule against hearsay. Hearsay evidence is based on information heard or obtained second-hand. Evidence must also not be overly prejudicial or inflammatory, as it could upset jurors and cloud their judgment. Once we have strong evidence, we often have to fight to prove it is admissible.
Contact Our Illinois Car Accident Lawyers About Finding Evidence in Your Case
After a car accident, the hunt for admissible evidence should begin as soon as possible. Our Naperville, IL car accident lawyers can begin the search for evidence while you recover from your injuries. For a free case evaluation, call the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502.
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