The Importance of a Post-Accident Investigation

Accidents and injuries due to another’s fault are a common occurrence in Alabama. Your motor vehicle accident could be a simple slip and fall on a wet floor in a department store, or it may be a complicated vehicular crash involving multiple cars. In all these cases, the first priority should be to get medical help for your injuries and then hire a personal injury lawyer for a post-accident investigation in order to determine liability.

Identifying potentially liable parties is the first step to recovering compensation. The sooner you hire a lawyer, the faster they can get into action to obtain evidence while it is still available. This may include forensics evidence from the scene of the accident, police reports, medical records, eyewitness accounts, and photo or video evidence, among other things.

To claim your rightful personal injury damages, you may need the help of a dedicated lawyer who can carry out an extensive investigation since you may not be able to rely on law enforcement officials alone. The following are some of the reasons why post-accident investigations are vital to establishing a personal injury claim.

Accidents Can be Incredibly Complicated

Various types of accidents can be too complicated to ascertain the real blame. You need to find the responsible parties to build a strong personal injury case. You need to remember that the insurance company and the other party may try to blame you for the accident as well. Having all the facts and evidence of the accident can give you the leverage you need. A post-accident investigation should not be delayed since that can result in evidence getting lost.

Let the Professionals Handle It

The majority of accident victims don’t think about investigating an accident immediately following the incident. They are more concerned with paying their medical bills, keeping their job, taking care of their loved ones, and trying to find the money to pay for expenses. You can focus on recovering from your injuries by allowing a professional investigator to take care of the investigative work.

Correlating with this, there are certain steps that you would need to take, such as calling the police and exchanging insurance information. You should also get the contact information of immediate witnesses. These can be passed on to the investigator to gather the necessary evidence for strengthening your claim.

Acquire Maximum Compensation

Accomplished personal injury attorneys recommend having the accident investigated when your injury-related costs have gone beyond what the insurance company covers. You should get a post-accident investigation if you suffered permanent or serious injuries. Generally, accident investigations are conducted by the police and independent investigators hired by personal injury attorneys.

The goal of an accident reconstruction or investigation is to determine which factors or people caused the accident. You may get the compensation you deserve by simply relying on the police investigation in some cases.

However, you should know that the police are not focused on the same concerns as an investigation led by the insurance company of a defendant. It may be necessary for the plaintiff or victim to launch an independent investigation to get definitive answers.

How Is a Post-accident Investigation Carried Out?

Investigators take a look at various information when trying to determine what happened in an accident. They may interview witnesses, look at the accident scene, and inspect various components involved in the accident. Some investigators may carry out crash tests in case of vehicular accidents.

Car accidents are generally investigated by taking photographs, inspecting skid marks, gathering physical evidence, and taking various measurements. The findings are then provided in a way that can show who was responsible for the accident clearly. Such information can be helpful while negotiating with the insurance company and also during the trial.

It is possible for both parties to carry out simultaneous post-accident investigations. The other investigator may present different findings about the cause of the accident. The judge and jury will be the ultimate determination of fault in such cases. Stemming from this, the expertise and methods used by the investigator will prove to be helpful in arriving at a decision.

Accident Reconstruction Experts May be Necessary

It is possible that the typical investigation process is unable to determine liability clearly. This can be problematic if you are trying to get the insurance carrier to pay a settlement. You may need the help of a capable personal injury attorney with skilled accident reconstruction experts on their panel. Reconstruction experts have extensive scientific knowledge and experience to recreate the actual accident scene.

They will gather the necessary evidence to piece together what happened. Accident reconstruction experts often recreate the incident using digital 3D modeling which can show the personal injury jury or the insurance carriers what happened. An attorney can take care of the investigation aspect while you focus on recovering from your injuries. It takes time to seek treatment and therapy. You shouldn’t tax yourself or worry about the case.

Instead, you should consider working with an experienced attorney that can perform the investigation and get you the compensation you deserve.

Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney in Alabama Today

The distinguished Alabama attorney Frank M. Wilson has over 30 years of experience representing clients in local, state, and federal courts. Frank Wilson brings his years of expertise, dedication, and commitment to any new case that involves a victim of personal injury. We have the necessary resources and knowledge to help you get fair compensation. You can schedule a free and confidential consultation with us today by calling us at (334) 420-2931 or simply contacting us online.